Staff Reports
As 2017 winds down, 14 foster children in the Tampa Bay area are coming home for the holidays, adopted into 11 new families this week.
WFTS reports the homecomings were part of the Eckerd Connects adoption and foster program.
“It’s been the best Christmas ever,” new mother Rosa Diaz told reporter Sean Daly.
On Wednesday, Diaz officially became the mother of 18-month-old Emma Victoria Diaz in an emotional ceremony at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.
Judge Jack Espinosa made room in his schedule to officiate the adoptions before the end of the year.
For Diaz and the other “new” families, the road to adoption was long.
“Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with infertility,” Rosa, a Lakeland teacher, explained. “That’s when I decided to foster, without any intention of adoption.”
Diaz fostered 17 children before taking on Emma’s brother Michael, her first adoption. Adopting Michael’s sister would take another year. It was not without some challenge, too; Emma was born prematurely at five months.
With the support of Eckerd Connects and her family, Diaz taught Emma how to crawl and eat.
But while Emma’s health is improving, on adoption day, the little girl was fighting bronchitis.
“I’m very proud of you,” Diaz told Emma. “I’m just very happy to have you.”
