4-year-old boy finds forever family thanks to Wednesday's Child, "Our hearts were just open to him"
BOSTON - You never know what it takes to make your family complete.
Michelle and Catherine Mattera already had two boys, Mikey and Noah, and they were looking to open their hearts to one more. Thanks to the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) and Wednesday's Child, they found four-year-old Joey.
"We just always wanted a big family and kind of had kids a little bit later, and after the second kid I had, I was like, 'Nope we're at our limit,' but we had already started looking into adoption," Michelle told WBZ-TV.
Adoption in Massachusetts
They decided to spend time on MARE's adoption website.
"It actually went really fast for us, surprisingly. They got us in the MAPP program, within probably two weeks of us inquiring. They did our home study really quick. The hardest part was putting inquiries in on children," said Catherine.
And it was there that Joey's profile first caught their attention.
"When we actually met him, it was like game over and I'll totally be the person that cries about it," said Michelle.
But the situation wasn't that easy. Joey is autistic and non-verbal, but in their first meeting with him, he melted their hearts.
"I mean they told us he's probably not going to look at you or give you a lot of affection and he came and he laid on both of our laps and was just snuggling," Michelle told WBZ.
Despite the whirlwind of their lives, they wanted to give Joey a forever home.
"We love a challenge, we're constantly told. I'm in law school, she's in her masters program, we work full time, we have two boys already, we are taking on a non-verbal autistic kid. Our hearts were just open to him," said Catherine.
Adopting Joey
Over the next couple of months the Matteras adjusted to life with the newest member of their family.
"We did so much research. We've put him in all the right programs. ABA therapy from 9 to 5 every day. They've done wonders with him," Catherine told WBZ.
Within a year, it was made official. Joey had his forever home and two brothers. Big brother Noah has taken this all in.
"I love my brothers but sometimes they can annoy me as usual but most of all, I love them in my heart," he said.
Joey's new parents could not have imagined life without him and they hold hope for the possibilities.
"To see him developing new skills and learning new things. I mean that's what we hope for him you know. We still think that, we pray that he's going to speak. We've seen such new growth over a year that anything can happen," Michelle said.
For more information you can contact MARE: 617-964-MARE (6273) or visit www.mareinc.org.
Since its inception in 1981, Wednesday's Child has been a collaboration of the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), the Department of Children & Families and WBZ-TV/CBS Boston. Hosted by Jack Williams for 34 years, this weekly series has given a face and voice to the children who wait the longest for families. Wednesday's Child has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children and continues to raise awareness about adoption from foster care.
