Being able to help those less fortunate than yourself is a blessing.
The story of a man who lived in an abusive household in Africa and his son melted the heart of many, as it once again proved the power of kindness and love.
Peter Mutabazi is a single man who adopted children after he has suffered severe abuse from his own family when he was only a kid.
Therefore, when he heard of an 11-year-old boy being abandoned at a hospital by his foster parents, he knew he had to help the kid!
The boy, Tony, never knew who his biological parents were, as he was left in a foster home. At the age of 2, he was adopted by a foster family from Oklahoma.
Shockingly, nine years later, the couple left the boy at a hospital and never returned.
At this point, a woman working at the hospital, Jessica Ward, phoned Peter, who was known to foster children in difficult situations.
Peter agreed to take Tony for 2 days, but after hearing his story, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life as his father.
On November 12, 2019, the day they’ve been waiting for finally came – Peter became Tony’s legal father.Now, they reside together in North Carolina.
He explained:
“Once I knew the parents’ rights were signed off and he had nowhere to go, I [knew] I had to take him. I had the room, the resources, so I had no reason to let him go.”
The proud dad describes Tony as “the nicest, smartest, kid you could possibly imagine”.
He said:
“From day one, he’s always called me ‘dad.’ He truly meant it and he looks up to me. He’s proud to show me at school and say, ‘Hey, he’s my dad.’ That’s something that I love about him.”
Peter had grown up in Uganda, Africa, and had suffered severe abuse from his family, so when he was 10, he ran away from home and was adopted by a kindly guardian. He said:
“They became my sponsor, my family. I grew up the poor of the poorest people on the planet. I grew up where no one told me to dream, that there was no future for me.”
Eventually, Peter made it to the United States and now works for a charity, World Vision United States, helping some of the poorest children in the world. He has also fostered 12 children.
He added:
“For what someone did for me, I wanted to do something for someone else.”
Ward, who works with Angels Foster Family Network in Edmond, Oklahoma, later said:
“[Tony] had some issues that he was dealing with from foster care and trauma when he was abandoned, so Peter know once he took him in, that was it. Peter’s [Mutabazi] story all around is beautiful and amazing. Because of the age Peter was when all of the things happened in his world, I feel like that’s been such a connection for him and Tony.”
Tony is now doing well at school and hopes to go on to study at college. Following his father’s steps, he intends of helping those less fortunate than himself as well.