Nate’s life hasn’t been a bed of roses in the ten years he has been on Earth, but he always finds a way to remain positive and put a smile on other people’s faces.
This is what makes him so special, and it’s definitely what made his reading teacher, Jenna, love him so much that she decided to become his foster parent a little more than three years ago.
In 2019, Nate, who suffers from sickle cell anemia, was taken to the hospital because of a blood infection.
Complications of his condition led to the amputation of his legs below the knees, his left arm, and three of his fingers.
Little Nate was alone at the hospital since he had been removed from his family’s home just 10 days earlier.
Jenna, his reading teacher at Walsh Elementary School in Waterbury, Connecticut, visited the boy at the hospital because she felt a strong connection with the always-smiling, brave boy.
That’s where she found out that he would be sent to a foster home after being discharged from the hospital.
Nate’s new home would be more than an hour away from his school, which had gradually become his safe and happy place.
This made Jenna concerned about how he would feel with so many changes happening in Nate’s life at the same time.
She figured, there was plenty of room in her house, and lots of love in her heart, so it might be a good idea to become the boy’s foster parent at that time.
She also asked her then-boyfriend Tim Riccio, and while he was initially surprised by the idea, the surprise soon turned into excitement.
After many background checks and home visits, she was approved as Nate’s foster parent, and he took him home when he was discharged from the hospital in October 2019.
On New Year’s Eve the same year, Tim asked Jenna to marry him, and the couple got married in May 2021, with little Nate being their ring bearer.
In February 2022, the couple welcomed a baby daughter, and Nate has since been the perfect big brother for little Julien.
“She’s obsessed with him,” says Jenna, “and lights up when she hears his voice.”
Nate and Julien share an unbreakable bond, just like all siblings do.
Indeed, the four of them officially became a family on November 18, 2022, when Nate’s adoption was finalized on National Adoption Day.
“This day is amazing!” Nate exclaimed at Waterbury juvenile court at his adoption hearing.
He made sure everyone knew how happy he was.
As the Riccios say, their family is now complete.
The family also remains close with Nate’s biological brother, Giovhany Mondestin, 22, who was also present in court on Nate’s special day.
“We always tell Nate, ‘I know you learned how to be a good big brother from your big brother,’ ” says Jenna.
The little boy is now thriving in his new home with his loving family.
Watch Nate’s adoption story in the video below.
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