In an inspiring display of determination, a 9-year-old boy recently set up a lemonade stand to fund his adoption. Young Ethan Parker spent his weekend selling refreshing lemonade for $1 per cup, with each sale inching him closer to the $5,000 needed for his legal adoption process.
“I feel really happy because I have a mom who loves me,” the third grader shared about his adoptive mother, Laura Thompson, who has been caring for him since he was just a few months old. To support this endeavor, Laura organized a yard sale at their home in Springfield, Missouri, drawing in community support.
Laura and her husband, Mike, already consider Ethan their son. “This means the world to us. He is our son in every way that matters,” Laura expressed. “The adoption is more about giving him the assurance that he has a forever family and that he belongs with us.”
Ethan’s journey to this point has been challenging. His biological mother struggled with substance abuse and, at one particularly cold moment in 2012, left him on the doorstep of a shelter. Thankfully, Laura was already involved in Ethan’s life, and the shelter reached out to her for help. “I was terrified,” she recalled. “I just wanted to know he was safe and okay.” Since that day, Laura and Mike have been Ethan’s guardians, and they have loved him as their own. “In our hearts, he’s our son,” Laura affirmed. “Now, we just want to make it official.”
Ethan feels secure in his new home, saying, “I know she is responsible and will take great care of me.” The family needed to raise funds to complete the adoption, and their combined efforts with the yard sale and lemonade stand turned out to be a resounding success. Together, they raised approximately $7,100, and after receiving significant attention, they also created an online fundraiser. Through YouCaring.com, their adoption story resonated widely, leading to over $8,410 in donations as of Monday morning.
“Words can’t express how grateful we are for everyone’s support,” Laura stated. “This is all thanks to the generosity of our community. We are committed to making sure Ethan will always be ours.”
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In summary, Ethan Parker’s lemonade stand is a heartwarming example of a child taking the initiative to secure his future. His story highlights the love and commitment of adoptive families, as well as the support of the community in making such dreams a reality.
Keyphrase: “9-Year-Old Raises Money for Adoption”
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