A Child is Waiting: Smart, Sociable Lucas is Loving and Lovable

by Honey Murray for Digital First Media

With red hair, a big grin and an engaging personality, twelve-year-old Lucas“lights up the room,” his social worker says. “He brings joy to the people he encounters.”
Remembers people
"He is a very social kid who is funny, talented, kind and smart,” says another worker. “He’s also loving and affectionate. People really like him, and he has an interesting gift: he’s extremely good at remembering people’s names! If he meets a person, months later he might ask detailed questions about them. He’s very bright, with lots of intellectual potential.”
"Two months ago,” says his social worker, “Lucas was helping the staff do meal prep. I said, ‘Hey! That’s great, Lucas!’ A few minutes later, there was a knock on my office door, and Lucas came in with a plate of
the food they’d made. ‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I appreciate that!’ and Lucas said, ‘No, I appreciate you. I love you.’”
Great reader
Lucas reads at a twelfth-grade level.
“He’d read for hours each school day, if he could,” his worker says. Lucas also enjoys math.
"He's becoming more physical, too,” says his worker, “He runs track and enjoys playing tag, catch and football. He also rides horses.”
Legoland wishes
"After school, I like to play and have free time,” Lucas says. “I like Legos and video games, watching the Cowboys play football and playing board games like Sorry and Trouble. I also like Group (therapy) because it
helps me out.”
“Someplace I’d like to travel is to Legoland,” says Lucas, who wants to be a Marine or a Nascar driver. “I heard you can drive life-sized Lego cars there.”
Many reasons to be proud
Lucas enjoys meeting new people as well as the closeness of his friends. “I can be nice, I am loving. I’m proud of being in placement for the better.”
“I’m so proud of Lucas,” says his social worker. “The best part of our job has been to see him develop and change, to see him overcome and work through the rejection and trauma in his life. He’s making great progress on his issues. He’s problem-solving and verbalizing his thoughts and feelings as opposed to acting out, and he has great, new re-focusing skills.”
He adds, "He's becoming open and honest about wanting and hoping for adoption and is working to put
himself in a position to be adopted. We’ve been able to give him help and coping strategies.”
“Lucas is learning to deal with ‘No,’” another worker adds, “and is continuing to show tremendous growth.”
His care providers state that Lucas needs a family that is consistent and can provide a structured environment.
"The family needs to be fierce advocates for the services he needs,” his worker says, “an energetic, two-parent home with a strong support system who can show Lucas the love and affection he deserves; one that is
willing to facilitate sibling visits. And, since he loves animals, Lucas hopes the family would have a dog.”
“I’d like a family that has a mom and a dad, and maybe two brothers,” says Lucas. “We could have
family nights, family movie nights, play games. Belonging to a family would mean being loved, spending holidays, having a house to go home to.”
For more information about adoption or mentoring, contact Orchards Children’s Services of Southfield at 855-694-7301, or visit www.orchards.