As a 14-year-old in the foster care system, Heather faced increasingly difficult odds of finding an adoptive family. In retrospect, Heather believes she would have faced great difficulty without a permanent family.
“I don't think that I would have gone to college. I don't know if I would have been successful even in high school,” explained Heather.
With MARE's help, however, Heather found a loving family she could call her own. Through MARE's listing of Child Profiles, Kim and Frank Cavanaugh saw Heather's photo. They were immediately struck and inquired further about Heather.
“They told us Heather's story: her profile, her history. Our social worker told us to think about it, but we looked at each other and said, “No, we don't need to think about it,’” said Kim.
Now, more than ten years later, Heather is a thriving young adult. She is studying to receive a Master's degree in Social Work and serves as a mentor to younger kids in foster care as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). She says that she loves being able to help kids in any way that she can.
Kim and Frank feel incredibly lucky to have Heather as part of their family. "We love Heather from here to the moon - can't you tell?" said Kim.
The Cavanaugh family spoke with WBZ's Paula Ebben about their adoption journey. Watch it below!