All adoption stories are beautiful, but this one, in particular, reminds us that magic does still exist in the world.
By all accounts, Amanda and JoBen Barkey of California seem to have a perfect life. The happy couple are both active members in their community and have four gorgeous children. Yet during the summer of 2018, the family hosted a young Colombian child for a month, and suddenly they realized that their family wasn’t quite as complete as they’d thought.
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Sebastian is 11 years old and has no biological family of his own. The child was brought to the United States as part of a charitable organization called Kidsave, which brings adoptable children to the U.S. in hopes of finding suitable parents for them.
JoBen originally hails from Peru, so he liked the idea of helping a South American child find his way in the world.
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“For me personally, I grew up in South America,” JoBen wrote on Facebook. “The truth is that I’m actually a dual citizen and I love and am strongly connected to my childhood. I do love all children, and do not discriminate in who I share that love with.”
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During the month that Sebastian spent with the Barkey family, they had countless adventures. From hiking in the rocky California mountains to taking a boat ride and going to a baseball game, they gave him a taste of what living in the United States could be like.
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The four Barkey kids were especially taken with Sebastian, bonding to the boy as if they had known him their whole lives. Amanda says that it was clear from the start that Sebastian fit in with their clan with zero effort.
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“We are really enjoying our time with Sebastian,” she wrote online. “He has blended right into our family as if he’s always been here! He’s kind, compassionate, caring, confident, respectful, grateful, goofy, and funny.”
When it was time for Sebastian to go home, though, he and his new friends were incredibly sad to say goodbye. Little did the young boy know that Amanda and JoBen had already made a huge decision for their family: they intended to adopt him!
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In a video that’s rapidly going viral on the web, Amanda and JoBen sit their kids down for a frank conversation about adding to their family. The kids were 100% on board, so the next step was letting Sebastian know that his entire life was about to change for the better!
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The Barkey kids and parents prepared for the video chat by making signs in Spanish, which they then took turns holding up for Sebastian to see. On each sign, they’d written the Spanish word for brother, sister, mama, and papa.
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When they finally ask him outright if he’d like to join their family, his little face crumples in the most beautiful expression of naked joy we’ve ever seen. It’s a truly wonderful moment!
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Sebastian is still in Colombia and the Barkey family has set up a fundraiser to help with the tremendous costs associated with foreign adoption.
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See? Magic does exist! Sometimes in life, you really can choose your own family. Welcome to the U.S., Sebastian.
Watch the incredible moment Sebastian learns he’s going to be adopted below, and don’t forget to share the love.
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