Abandoned at the hospital, Judah* spent his first 12 days in the NICU after he was born with severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Not even two weeks old and his world was already filled with life-altering trauma.
Matthew and Olivia Baldwin had only been officially licensed to foster for a few hours when they received the call: would they be willing to take a newborn with significant and immediate needs into their home as early as the next morning?
“Matthew was already asleep. I said yes without even talking with him,” Olivia shared. She frantically worked to get diapers, formula, and baby clothes. The next morning, they prepared their children for the possibility that a baby might be waiting for them when they got home from school, and that afternoon, he was. The Baldwins welcomed Judah with love, and they quickly came to think of him as part of their family.
Matthew and Olivia say they felt prepared for the challenges, the joys and the heartbreaks of fostering because of the training and support they received through FaithBridge, especially from their Foster Family Consultant, who worked closely with them throughout the journey. After months with this sweet, giggly baby who loved playing with his toys with his foster siblings, they were growing together as a family. Then the unexpected happened; the court decided to remove him from the Baldwins and place him with a friend of his biological family.
“We were scared. We thought that was it. We would never see him again,” Olivia said.
A few weeks later, when Matthew and Olivia reached out to deliver Christmas gifts FaithBridge had provided, his new caregiver, Patty, asked to have lunch together. What could have been a painful goodbye became something unexpected: the beginning of a relationship rooted in shared love for Judah.
After their time together, Patty invited them to remain a meaningful part of Judah’s life – a beautiful reminder that God can heal and bring families together even in difficult circumstances.
Because of your faithful partnership, families like Matthew and Olivia can say yes, knowing they are not walking the journey alone.
Thanks to the generosity of a group of our financial partners, your gift to FaithBridge this spring will be doubled, up to $50,000!