WEDNESDAY'S CHILD

Wednesday’s Child Telethon Helps Teen Become Adopted

Aug 29, 2018, 8:00 PM | Updated: 9:37 pm

MOUNT PLEASANT, Utah – A forever home, that is usually one thing the kids living in Utah foster care usually wish for. That wish came true for one teen KSL featured on our Wednesday’s Child Telethon.

When we first met Nick two years ago he was 15 and had one dream, a forever family. Things brightened up for the teen we once knew as Nick, but now he has a new name. Now he is known as Hunter.

“I saw it as a fresh start and Hunter is a cool name,” he said.

Not only is Hunter his new name, he also saw his dream come true.

“I got adopted. It’s pretty cool. I feel loved,” Hunter said.

Love from his new mom, Ronnett, and his dad, Dan, who are thrilled to have him in their home.

“He is hilarious. He’s a really good sense of humor, and it’s been fun to watch him learn and grow,” said Ronnett.

Hunter now has a lot of siblings,  with similar circumstances.

“We have 14 children, all of which we’ve adopted from foster care, some sibling groups, some singles. He’s actually the oldest of all the children, and he’s done really well with that,” said Ronnett.

It’s a new life they are all building together as a family, and Hunter is thankful.

“I thought I would just age out of the system. That’s what I was planning for,” said Hunter.

That plan was changed by Dan and Ronnett.

“The kids in foster care are like normal kids. They want the same things we want. They want to have structure, they want to have security, they want to have people in their life that they trust,” said Ronnett.

“He seems to have weathered the storm rather well. Him having a good sense of humor has helped tremendously. We do have a good time. We laugh a lot,” said Dan.

Laughter that is helping this new family bond.

“A family sets an anchor. It gives an anchor, gives that support, it gives the security these kids want,” said Dan.

All while changing the course of many lives.

“When you go into something like this, you think you’re going to change a child’s life. What you don’t realize is that they are also going to change yours,” she said.

KSL 5 TV Live

Wednesday's Child

14-year-old Chea as she paints at the Easely Art Studio in West Jordan, Utah. (KSLTV)...

Shara Park

Wednesday’s Child: Chea loves to paint, draw to create masterpieces

On this week's Wednesday Child, Chea is a kind, outgoing, and a patient foster child who is looking for a family that will commit to helping her build her future.

1 year ago

(KSL TV)...

Shara Park

Wednesday’s Child: Kenzie, 15, loves reading fiction; hopes to find her forever family

Kenzie has lived in foster care since she was 3 years old. At the age of 10, she was adopted, but that didn’t work out and she returned to state custody. Now at 15, she's hoping to find her family.

1 year ago

(KSL TV)...

Shara Park

Wednesday’s Child: Manuel, 10, loves climbing; hopes to be adopted by an active, loving family

Manuel, 10, enjoys being active and playing sports. He's been living in foster care for more than five years and says he wants to remember what it feels like to have a loving and supportive family.

1 year ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Shara Park

Wednesday’s Child: Autum, 13, dreams of living on a ranch with loving parents

Autum, 13, has been in foster care for almost a year. She loves ice skating and animals and dreams of living in the country on a ranch. She also hopes to be adopted by loving parents one day.

1 year ago

Wednesday's Children trio...

Shara Park

Wednesday’s Child: Siblings want family that will keep them together

At Airborne Trampoline Park in Draper it was only a matter of minutes before siblings Phillippe, Elias, and Lazuli were flipping into foam pits and scaling the trampoline padded walls.

1 year ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Shara Park

Raise the Future chosen as Team Giannis’ beneficiary for NBA All-Star Game

As the NBA All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City approaches, several local charities have been chosen as beneficiaries, including Raise the Future, KSL TV’s Wednesday's Child partner.

1 year ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Wednesday’s Child Telethon Helps Teen Become Adopted