LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - It's spring break! For a lot of kiddos, that means fun in the sun, trips away, or even staycations right here in town.
But it didn't mean a whole lot to one foster child, who's week wouldn't have been much until he got to the Third Realm.
THV11 continues our partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services in an effort to find him a place to call home. "I was just speechless," said Justin. Simply walking into Third Realm is enough to get a child excited.
“I wanna go play!” he said. This trip made this 13-year-old’s entire spring break. Not one time did he stop smiling, did he stop jumping. "Well usually I'm just at daycare, just minding my own business with a bunch of babies, and it's super boring but not here! It’s super awesome, totally radical!" he said.
It was totally radical, indeed. Not just the indoor fun park but his radical story. This boy was once so heartbroken but is now finding his way. He spoke about the time he was taken from his birth family.
“When I left it kinda broke my heart because I lived with my grandpa since I was 2 years old then just to leave one day from school and never see him again it was hard," he told us. That began Justin's life in state foster care. "Moving from house to house, never staying long this is the longest I've ever stayed in a family, most of the time I'm just in group homes, this is a major upgrade," he added.
Justin was talking about his current foster family. He's been with them 2 years and has been in foster care since 2013. It's been a long road toward healing for this young man. "I'm in robotics, I'm in east, I'm in yearbook, I'm in a bunch of different clubs," he told us. "And I'm very smart and I'm energetic and I just love doing things, I love nature."
He stumbled along the way, but a proud, fun child who is learning what family means. To Justin, family means love, family means creativity, family means happiness.
"I wanna live out in the country in the woods, go hunting, go fishing, go bike riding, go 4 wheeling, all that stuff," he said. This boy is climbing and jumping his way toward a happy future. He is making friends and healing his heart along the way. "But there's still a little hole in it and getting adopted would fill that hole," he said.
Special thanks to the Third Realm for giving Justin time to run and play and for his t-shirt and Gatorade. There are 375 waiting children state foster care. If you'd like information on Justin or any of them, click here.