“He’s very active,” said Diana Nystrom of her newly adopted son Elliott, 17 months, who enjoys watching her slide show-style movies of himself and the family on her laptop. She has taken hundreds, if not thousands, of photos documenting the life of the boy since the day of his birth.
On Dec. 16, 2010, Kent County Adoption Day, 46 children received “forever families” for Christmas – including little Elliott. He joined his 7-year-old brother Alex, who was also adopted five years ago by Diana and Aaron Nystrom of Grand Rapids.
The Nystroms also have two daughters, Nicole, 15, and Nesha, 24, who has her own son, Bylynn, almost 2. The toddler boys play together in daycare. The younger boy is quite a talker in the sign language taught him by Diana, who learned it to work with autistic children at an elementary school near their home. “One time Elliott spotted a little girl and he signed to me, ‘That girl is pretty,’” Diana said with a laugh.
The Nystroms received a lot of support from Lutheran Social Services of Michigan foster care and Lutheran Adoption Service as foster and adoptive parents. Diana urges those interested in helping children to talk to Lutheran Social Services (www.lutheranfostercare.org) about foster care, and to Lutheran Adoption Service (www.lasadoption.org) about adopting.
“Follow your heart,” she said. “If you have love to offer a child, what a wonderful gift.” More safe, supportive foster homes and loving ‘forever families’ are needed for boys and girls. They just want a place to belong. As it says on the Nystroms’ living room wall, “Family is a gift that lasts forever.”
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