Match Story from a Guardian’s Perspective
Our journey with Kids ‘n Kinship started when I recognized that J was yearning for a male relationship and I wanted to see what I could do to help fill this need. Jerod visited us and asked both J and I questions about what we were hoping for and personal interests. I was told there was no set timeframe for when a match may happen, but that we were active in the system and we crossed our fingers.
A few months went by, then a few more, until it had been a year and still no match. I’ll be honest when I say I was feeling disheartened because I saw the greatness in my son, so for me it was so obvious and my thought was
“Why can’t anyone else see it?”
Eighteen months had passed and then it happened- we got a call about a potential match! On a sunny afternoon, we met Don. Introductions were shared and before I knew it, J and Don were busy playing soccer and the rest is history. Don has been a huge influence in J’s life. He has shown up to soccer games and hockey tournaments, spent countless hours playing knee hockey and garage ball, but most importantly, showing up. He has shown time and time again that his presence is not conditional and J has learned to both trust and believe that someone other than me sees his greatness.
While that 18 months of waiting was disheartening, our match with Don was worth the wait and we are both so grateful for him.
-Nicolle, Kids ‘n Kinship Guardian
