Mother Teresa once said this, "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everyone, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."
I thought about this quote when I met Jim, 13, last week. As he told me, he's been in foster care way too long. And unfortunately when you're in the system that long, you start to feel forgotten and like you don't matter.
Thirteen-year-old Jim has been to the State Fair of Texas before, but this year was different.
MORE: Wednesday's Child
“I won a lot of prizes and I think it was kind of fun having my own day and winning my first prize here," he said.
Jim is not used to having all the attention on him. He doesn't have parents or a family to dote on him.
"Probably been in foster care since I was 7 or 8,” said the 13-year-old. “I would describe it as I've been in here a long time."
In the last 5 years, Jim has come up with a way to deal with the stress of not having a family.m“Sometimes I just like to draw when I'm mad or when I'm thinking about something," he said.
He creates his own characters. One of them is just like him. She likes to joke and make people laugh.
"Her name is Raven. She's probably like a fun, happy person, but sometimes she misses her parents," he said.
Jim then described in more detail how Raven often feels. It's really Jim describing his own situation. “Raven sometimes feels like she's normally not seen, invisible in school," he said.
When asked if he knew how important he was, Jim shook his head no. But Jim did say he felt important. "You said it was my day, so I can take advantage of it. So, yea and I'm on TV, so I must be important," he said.
Jim's foster mom describes him as fun and easy going, which is exactly what we saw at the State Fair. Jim also showed us a vulnerable side, the one that worries about the future and aging out of foster care when he turns 18.
“I'll probably have to go to a home or shelter because I can't go anywhere else," he said.
Jim needs parents who will help him keep in touch with his sister who will be adopted separately. "She's important to me," he said.
He needs parents who will adore him, treat him equally and show him he matters. "I do want to be adopted really bad. I'll try my hardest to be good,” he said.
WFAA and Child Protective Services partner to spotlight these children in hopes that one day a child's wish of a "forever family" will come true.
In order to adopt a child, you must be licensed in the state of Texas as an adoptive parent. For more Information on how to get started please visit the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange website or call La Queena Warren at 817-792-4954 or 817-304-1272.