DALLAS — After six years in foster care, we have an opportunity to turn things around for today’s Wednesday’s Child – Corey! He is a wonderful teenager who has the biggest smile and an even bigger heart.
Corey has never been to the State Fair of Texas, until now!
He is normally afraid of heights, but he put that fear aside to do something he's never done.
"I'm a little nervous. I'm on a Ferris wheel for the first time!" the 13-year-old said. "It's beautiful. I like all of the tall buildings.”
Not only was it Corey’s first time at the fair, but it was also his first time eating a Fletcher's Corny dog. No mustard. No ketchup. He ate it dry and loved it.
"This is a good memory. I bet I remember it forever," he said about his day at the fair.
There isn't much Corey doesn't remember, including the wild ride in foster care these last six years. He's currently in a placement where he says he feels safe, unlike some of the other places he's been.
"Some of the places I went to, some of the people were mean," he said.
Corey is a survivor. He showed WFAA the scar on his neck that is the result of child abuse.
"It's when my dad abused me, and I went to Children's Hospital. I still remember all the nurses. They had to stick a tube up my nose and down my throat," he shared openly.
After suffering so much in his short life, Corey needs to hit the jackpot with a forever family. He needs a safe and loving home.
"I want a family that loves me, and I love them, and that we care for each other and have each other's backs,” he said.
Mainly, he wants their protection and to know he's not alone on this journey.
"I smile a lot when I'm around other people," he said about his love of sharing his life with others.
Corey especially smiles when he's with his “mama bear”. That's what he calls his CPS caseworker. He calls her his mama bear because, he says, she cares about him.
"I look at Corey as a son," said Latisha Nobles.
She says Corey is a wonderful child who needs to have a family structure. She is working hard to find him a family who values time together and provides structure.
"I just want to see him out of the system," she said.
We all do. Corey is an amazing young man, who has an amazing future.
He is an artist, swimmer and lover of life.
"I like to draw. I like music. I like nature," he said smiling.
He's the kind of kid who appreciates the trees around him, the people who help him and life's experiences.
Corey wants a family who will help him to reconnect with his biological siblings and will be there for him. More than anything, he deserves to build more memories at the fair and everywhere with parents who cherish him and his beautiful smile!
For more information on how to adopt Corey, please send all approved home studies to LaQueena Warren at LaQueena.Warren@dfps.texas.gov. Please remember to include Corey's name within the subject line.
If you're not licensed, please visit adoptchildren.org to find out more information on how to become licensed to foster and/or adopt or contact LaQueena Warren at 817-304-1272.
If you would like to read more Wednesday Child stories and learn about how to get the adoption process started, click here.