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Daniel, a foster youth hoping to be adopted: “I’ve never really had a mother figure in my life.”

Posted at 10:41 AM, Apr 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-15 10:41:11-04

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Give 15-year-old Daniel a ball or a puck and you’ll likely seem him in his element.

“I like to have fun. I like to play sports. I've played baseball, hockey since I was four, and football. And I'm starting to get into basketball right now. I'm the captain of the basketball team and the star player,” he said.

Daniel has been waiting to be adopted since April of 2020.

The ninth grader admits he enjoys fashion.

“I like shoes. I don't know why, but I like shoes so much. I used to have, like, 30, 40 pairs of shoes. My favorite pair of shoes that I own, probably my Air Max 270s or my Space Jams. Also, I just like to dress good and look good. It makes me feel better when I know I'm looking good,” said Daniel.

As for his future, he’s interested in a couple of avenues.

“First, I want to go into the military. I'm not sure what branch I want to go into yet. But my grandpa went into the military, and I want to follow his footsteps,” Daniel said. “Then I'm thinking about either being a probation officer because I've gone through a lot of the same stuff, and I've learned from it, and I could help them.”

His favorite class in school is Biology.

“I like biology because the way life is, there's a lot to learn about like cells and the way the body works,” he said.

After school, he finds time for listening to his favorite jams.

“Music is my big thing. I listen to music at least eight hours of the day, every day. And it just helps me, makes me think of home because I listen to music I used to listen to at my house,” Daniel explained.

He dreams of living in a city and having a dog with his future adoptive family.

“I like to go on trips or do activities, watch movies, play board games,” he said.

“I've never really had a mother figure in my life. Mainly it's been the dad figures or uncles or whatever, brothers, and I feel like I would need a mother figure,” Daniel said.

If you’d like to learn more about Daniel, click here.

If you’d like to adopt Daniel, call the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at (800)589-6273.

If you’re not able to adopt, you can still help!

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