LIMA — For her entire life, Louise has been surrounded by children who have become family not through bloodline, but rather through love.
“My mom had a whole lot of kids,” she said. “She had 12 kids of her own, but she always brought kids home, and it seemed like they never left, but they always stayed. So it seemed like we always had someone who wasn’t blood staying with us, and we took care of them and they became our brothers and sisters.”
Louise adopted a foster daughter, who is now an adult, along with having three biological children of her own. However, once her children grew up and left, her home seemed empty, prompting her to go back to the foster program. Since May, she has been a foster mother to brothers Will, 7, and Wayne, 5, and she is raising them together despite being on disability.
“They had been taken from their mother and sent to an aunt and were taken away again after she wasn’t doing what she was supposed to,” she said. “They had bedbugs and bites.”
Louise has had to overcome behavioral challenges with the two boys, given the abuse they have taken from their biological families. However, she has seen improvements in the months she has cared for them. Now, with Christmas approaching, she wants Will and Wayne to finally enjoy a holiday.
“I was talking to Wayne and asked him, ‘Have you ever had a Thanksgiving?’ and he said no,” she said. “Will said that they’ve never had a holiday. He’s 7 years old and has never had a holiday. So this Christmas, I want to go all out and spend every dime I can get, with a Nativity scene and a Christmas tree, giving them a nice holiday they’ll never forget.”
Louise hopes to be able to get the boys some good clothes this year, especially boots. Will wears size 8 clothes and size 1 shoes. Wayne wears size 6 clothes and take a size 12 shoe. Warmer clothes, like sweaters, would be especially welcome. They both enjoy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Superman and Nerf guns.
“They’re typical boys,” Louise said.
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