Little boy's gift more than a Christmas present
According to CPS, this year across Texas, there were 5,468 children adopted out of Foster Care.
Megan and Josh Ransom's six year-old son Alpha was one of those children who found their forever family.
"I've worked with at risk youth and teens for over ten years and learning what we know about the kids in foster care and adoption," Megan says. And that's why for her and Josh, the decision to adopt was easy. "We were pretty open with our age range our gender ethnicity, we just wanted to grow our family and give a child a great home," she adds.
They opened theirs to Alpha eight months ago. After going through training, and getting certified, the couple says they got the call almost immediately, "It just all happened really quickly once we were matched with him."
The Ransom's say when they committed to becoming foster parents, they planned to give that child their forever home. Before Alpha, the young couple says it was just the two of them and their dogs. Both 32, they say from the moment he got there, it was a natural fit. "It's been a life changing experience, having another little human in the house but we couldn't be happier."
On November fifth, with family and friends looking on, Alpha officially became their son, and he now goes by their last name. Josh and Megan also gave Alpha a middle name, "Leo", after Josh's grandfather. "I made it clear he wasn't being named after a Ninja turtle," Josh says with a laugh. Though Leo has passed, says Josh, "I think he would have dug my grandpa, my grandpa would have dug him."
The family is spending their first Christmas together. A holiday that Megan and Josh say they have always celebrated but without all of the fanfare "We're starting so many new traditions," says Megan, "we picked out new ornaments because we barely had enough when it was just us, so it didn't really matter."
Their tree is trimmed with all of the accessories one could imagine in the home of a precocious little boy. There are candy cane ornaments, and ornaments that represent Alpha's favorite sports, basketball and soccer. And of course, a Ninja Turtle.
As you might imagine, while the clock ticks for Santa's arrival, little Alpha's excitement grows...wondering out loud, about what he might find under the tree. He says he's hoping for a "Bat Cave"
But for Megan and Josh, they've already opened their most important present, "I think we, we just feel complete," Megan says, "We just feel really complete and i think having him has definitely been a gift to us and being able to celebrate."
And they hope others will take notice of their path. "If we don't speak up," she says, "And we don't let people know, it's okay for adoption to be your plan A, it doesn't have to be just because you can't have children. That's a great reason too but it's okay to step up and help these amazing kids, that deserve it."
Right now in Central Texas, according to CPS, there are eight hundred children in Foster Care waiting for their forever families.