| A few weeks back in my Ethics class, we watched a film called We Are Dad. It tells the story of Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau who were two nurses in the pediatric AIDS unit. What makes these two men stand out is that they began fostering children back in the 80s who were diagnosed with AIDS, and were otherwise considered "un-adoptable." They currently have five foster children: Frank (14), Tracy (14), Bert (10), Wayne (8), Ernie (5). Frank, Tracy, and Bert were place with the two men when they were infancts through Florida's Dept. of Children and Families (DCF).
Steve quit his job to be at home all day with the kids and to help with the kid's medical needs. They later moved to Oregon to be closer to Steve's parents, and the three kids stayed under the Florida DCF laws. They had also fostered one little baby named Ginger, but she died at the age of six. When they were in Oregon, they were asked to foster two little boys who were HIV positive, Wayne and Ernie.
Bert ended up testing negative of HIV, which suddenly made him eligible for adoption because he was now "wanted."
It was just amazing watching how great and healthy these children are being in a home environment. I was always one to say no to gay marriage and gay adoption, while I still may not necessarily agree with it, watching the story of this family has altered my thinking a lot.
Here's a website that has more information on this family in case anybody is interested in reading more about it: http://www.lethimstay.com/loftons.html | |
