Foster dad agreed to host abandoned child for one weekend. 417 weeks later, they’re still a family

Living without a family can be a challenging experience, which often leaves a painful void impacting a child's social, psychological, and overall well-being. While many orphans, or those abandoned by close friends and families, find a second chance at life through adoption, others are left to face the cruel world all alone. Notably, SOS Children's Villages reports that worldwide, an estimated 153 million children are orphans, meaning they have either lost their parents or have been left behind by families unable or unwilling to raise them. Anthony Mutabazi was one such heartbroken kid, as his adoptive parents abandoned him at a hospital. Soon after, Peter Mutabazi (@nowiamknown on TikTok), a newly certified foster dad, got a call requesting him to look after Anthony 'only for a weekend.' Although he felt unprepared and anxious, he didn't turn it down — after all, it was only going to be 2 days.

In a heartwarming video posted in April 2025, Peter revealed how that simple phone call from 8 years ago changed his life completely. At first, Peter was hesitant since he was still in his initial years of fostering kids and was struggling to get over attachment issues. However, keeping his thoughts aside, he mustered the energy to say yes. "It was heart-wrenching to see the pain he was going through. The first day he came to me, we instantly had a father/son connection," Peter shared. With time, interestingly, Peter and Anthony both grew fond of each other, becoming literally inseparable, which led to Peter formally adopting Anthony on November 19, 2019, making their eternal connection official. "I am so proud and blessed to have him as my son," he shared.

The internet erupted with all hearts, praising the dad for taking responsibility of that young, abandoned kid, even when he wasn't in the best place himself. @bexky4 commented, "As an adopted child, he is your son! You, sir, stepped up and loved that child! You are an amazing person! I owe the world to my parents, who took me in and adopted me." Similarly, @user6272121031934 wrote, "It was part of God's plan that the two of you were to be father and son. You even look alike. May God bless you both!" @kylaelizabeth00 shared, "I love how our babies somehow outgrow us physically but never our hearts; what a beautiful adoption story!" @cynthiahaskell878 commented, "This gave me goosebumps to see how far he has come with your love and guidance. God bless you!"

@ttloc89 wrote, "As a former foster kid myself, this is beautiful. My cards were dealt differently, but I love to see other foster kids win!! My heart is so happy to see this!" @itsjustme_tasha revealed, "My son came to me for one weekend when he was 13 months old. He changed my heart and my biological kids' hearts forever. He never left. I adopted him as a single mom on 11/22/19! The greatest gift." @milkhiela said, "That’s so crazy; he actually looks like his son. A friend in church adopted their first, then gave birth to their second, and they look identical." On the other hand, @viergelune, who was moved by the wholesome adoption story, commented, "Thank you. You will never understand the difference your love made. I'm also an abandoned adopted kid, but I grew up in a children's home. You saved his entire life." Today, there are 140 million orphans worldwide, with 20 million kids awaiting adoption. If more people like Peter step up, then we may be able to make a significant dent in these numbers, thereby tilting the world an inch closer to peace.

You can follow Peter Mutabazi (@nowiamknown on TikTok) for more parenting-related content.