Bloom is a nonprofit organization that greatly depends on community support and caring individuals to make a difference in the lives of foster children. Every day, the office receives five to ten calls from the Department of Family and Children Services, seeking foster families who can provide a safe and caring home for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
Last year, Bloom received a truly heartbreaking call. A 4-week-old baby boy, born prematurely with drugs in his system, was in immediate need of a foster family. He had been born at home and then dropped off at the emergency room. That’s the last time the baby saw his mother. At the hospital, the baby went through withdrawal, enduring multiple seizures as the drugs left his system. The baby had been completely abandoned—and he didn’t even have a name.
Thankfully, Bloom stepped in and connected the baby with the McNichols family, a seasoned Bloom foster family. With three little girls of their own, the foster parents hoped to add another child to their loving family. The foster mom, Sarah McNichols, was a former RN with the medical training and background necessary to meet the baby’s unique medical needs.
“When I first laid eyes on this sweet baby boy, I was taken aback at how tiny and fragile he looked,” said Sarah McNichols, Bloom foster parent. “He was a preemie with multiple health concerns and had spent the first three weeks of his life in the NICU, with nurses on each shift giving him a new name because he didn’t have one.”
Because of the baby’s size and medical issues, The Bloom Closet knew the McNichols family would need extra support. The staff sprang into action and asked supporters to donate everything the family needed, including a crib and car seat, formula, diapers, and preemie-sized clothing. Thanks to the support of the community, volunteers, and donors, Bloom was able to accomplish this in less than 24 hours.
The McNichols family had everything they needed to care for him, including support, training, and supplies. They even gave him a brand-new name—Wade. Wade is now healthy and loved, meeting all developmental milestones, and was recently adopted by the McNichols family. Bloom has supported Wade and the McNichols family every step of the way, including additional assistance during hospital visits to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“Fostering a child isn’t always easy,” said Sarah. “But the joy that comes with it is immeasurable, and we’re thankful that Bloom was there to support us through it all. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, in the foster care world, Bloom is our village, and we wouldn’t have that village without their support.”
After more than two years of being in Bloom’s care, Wade’s life is in stark contrast to his first month of life. Instead of being left alone without a family or a name, Wade is now surrounded by a family that loves him. The connections made through the work Bloom does make stories like Wade’s possible. He went from being unwanted and abandoned to soon being adopted by a loving, caring Bloom foster family.
