Former foster kid asked to be adopted by a family he sold a car to: 'I’m blessed'

There is no substitute for family, and a young person who was reared in foster care was hoping to find one in a couple of potential auto buyers he met. Video captures the Wilkinsons family's emotional response to salesperson Davon Woods' recorded message asking them to become his "forever family" and whether he could take their last name. The Wilkinsons family left the lot in April 2021 with a car and a new friend. The 27-year-old Woods said he never had a relationship with either of his parents while growing up in the foster care system. When Sarah Wilkonson learned of this, she and her parents made an effort to connect with Woods whenever they could, reported Good News Network.

The Wilkinsons sent an invitation to Davon to join them for dinner on his birthday in August 2021 as well as for Thanksgiving later that same year at their home in Savannah, Georgia. Woods requested to join the family more than a year after they first met. Although there hasn't been a formal adoption procedure, the Wilkinsons now love Davon like family, which is what counts most, and they granted him permission to carry the name, Davon Wilkinson. “It was weird to be in a loving environment. I’ve never had a relationship with any parents ever, adoptive or biological,” said Woods. “It was something I’d always wanted. I’ve always wanted to say ‘this is my family.'”

Foster Kids Matter, an organization committed to helping foster children in Georgia, was founded by Davon after he quit his job. “I was inspired to become a foster kids advocate. If I hadn’t had that experience I would never have done it,” he added. “When you go without love for a long time and are presented with it, it’s weird. It feels like you’re starting a new job.” He further said, “I spend holidays with them, and I know my kids will never be short on family with them around,” Davon said. “It was very emotional to me because they gave me love that I’ve never received, and often we think because of the color of our skin, we’re supposed to be separate, but I’m blessed to have them in my life."

However, the story of Davon and his brother, Tavon wasn't a fairytale. The odds were already stacked against Daquane Shamar Jacobs and Tavon Lamar Jacobs before they were born. Their biological mother was completely unaware that she was having twins. Her babies were born addicted to crack and weighed just 2 pounds because she received no prenatal care and used narcotics while she was pregnant. The infants were taken out of her custody and placed in foster care right away. When the boys were 2 years old, they were adopted by the Woods family, who gave them the new names Davon and Tavon Woods. The desire of any foster child is typical to be adopted, but living with the Woods family was far from ideal, according to InspireMore.

“We had a very difficult childhood with our adoptive family,” Davon explained. “We got physically and verbally abused, we were never given a voice, and they never once told us they loved us. It felt like we were just a paycheck, but we were too young and afraid to tell anyone what was happening at home.” Sadly, this absence of family history and encouragement caused both boys to rebel when they were teenagers. To cope with the anguish, they turned to drugs, almost dropped out of school, and Davon even made many suicide attempts. Knowing that his brother would be left alone in the world without him was the only thing that kept him from acting. Being with the Wilkinsons has been a blessing for Davon and couldn't be more grateful. Many of us have a tendency to take family for granted. Davon's story serves as a beautiful reminder of how crucial it is to experience love and support in our lives as well as to extend that love and support to those in need.

This article originally appeared on 12.26.22.