Steve Harvey’s son-in-law reveals it was foster mom's 'holiday card' that finally made him feel at home
'You changed my life...' he said.
Steve Harvey introduced Ben Raymond, his daughter's fiancé, to the world through a heartwarming episode of his chat show. Raymond, now married to his daughter, Karli, had appeared on the show to thank a woman who had raised him with all her love despite challenges. She was his foster mom, who took care of him while his birth mom was struggling with consistent mental breakdowns. A part of the episode was shared on Steve TV Show's (@stevetvshow) YouTube channel.
Raymond had a far from easy childhood. While his father was almost absent his entire life, his mom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia at a very early age, and lost him multiple times to foster care. In fact, Raymond was only 6 months old when he entered the system and had to move in with different families for his survival. He loved his birth mother, but her mental illness had taken the best of her, leaving her with no options other than surrendering Raymond to foster care. Somehow, life continued, and he found his passion in sports. But amidst all the struggle, it was his foster mom, Kat Hughes, who stood like a pillar by his side. "This family took me in and they gave me an opportunity," the man expressed. Hughes loved Raymond so much that she even put his picture on their family Christmas card. "That was the first time I really felt loved," he confessed, recalling the moment. "At that time I was 6'4, 6'5 as you can see here. And I was eating them out of their home. Literally, I think she carried gallons of fruit punch every every couple days," Raymond recalled. It would only be much that that he'd learn how Hughes was already in financial stress when she met Raymond, but that never stopped her from providing for him.
Steve's son-in-law also mentioned that a letter she'd written to him shaped his life for the better. Steve had invited Kat on his show while keeping her oblivious to the heartfelt confession Raymond had for her. Facing his foster mom, Raymond said, "18 years ago, you wrote this card to me when I went to college. Remember? And you said, 'The stars will shine.' And in that card, you talked about how we started as a string, and that we've woven together to become a cable so strong that we'd never be broken." This immediately made Hughes tear up, to which Raymond said, "You changed my life," reminding her of how she had stepped into his life when he was chasing love. Raymond also thanked her for loving his birth mom and giving him a brother he never had. "You fed me when I was hungry, you nursed me back when I was sick," he added, suppressing tears.
Millions of kids like Raymond go through a very tough childhood. And unlike him, most grow up in the absence of parental figures, exhibiting low self-esteem and symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to a study by Cheyenne Downey and Aoife Crummy. They also found that while some live in denial, constantly refusing their childhood trauma, others create a false self-image to escape it. Raymond could have had all these had Hughes not been there to support him. She had given Raymond a second chance at life — something that drove him to grow up and work with young boys with similar stories to his. "I started my foundation called 'Be the Ray' foundation, and today, there's no more special person than I wanted to give this to. I started a scholarship in your name, the Kat Hughes scholarship," he announced on the show. His foster mom couldn't hold back her tears upon receiving the honor and pulled Raymond into a hug.
Overwhelmed by the incident, @lachanao7 asked, "Mr. Harvey, how do you feel about having this gentleman as your son-in-law? It's very reassuring for a father who loves his children as much as you do to see his daughter with a gentleman of such high moral character who will take such good care of her. This is wonderful."
Similarly, @beverlyalexander7076 said, "I can't stop crying. This story touched my soul. I know there are many people with similar stories like this. This is what the world needs: more genuine love. God is love. Thanks for sharing." @habibawakil wrote, "What a great story. I'm glad he was able to appreciate her this way."
You can follow Steve TV Show (@stevetvshow) on YouTube for more such wholesome interviews.
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