For many of us, growing up in a kind and loving family is something that’s easily taken for granted.

Up to a certain age, I didn’t even realize that not every child had the blessing of a mom and dad who thought the world of them.

Of course, there are millions of children the world over who don’t have the benefit of a warm and loving home. One 12-year-old boy named Andrew, from Nashville, Tennessee, knows all about that.

As per reports, he’s lived in foster care for about half his young life. Well, his fortunes changed recently when he was adopted.

We don’t know which is sweeter: Andrew and Joc’s love of @KelloggsUS PopTarts, or the bond these two share! We are thrilled that Andrew has found his forever family with his best friend and new brother, Joc, and the Gill family. Thx @WSMV

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for sharing! https://t.co/OystsoBfwd pic.twitter.com/1w0uqDLtcc

— Youth Villages (@youthvillages) September 1, 2020

Andrew was already fast friends with another boy called Joc Gill, from the family who has served as his foster family for a few years.

The two boys love to play video games and eat pop-tarts together, and it’s clear that they’re fast friends. Joc’s parents, Kevin and Dominique Gill, meanwhile, have always loved having Andrew around.

You can imagine Andrew’s delight and surprise, then, when one day he was out walking in the park with Molly Parker (who works at Youth Villages) and was met with the news that the Gills were officially adopting him.

#ThankYou Gill Family ? What a wonderful story Joc and Andrew. And I'm with them #FrostedCherryPopTarts! | A dream come true: Adoption unites best friends https://t.co/ZMmpI7PacO

— Karen Bowman (@KBow5) September 7, 2020

“I just turned around the corner and saw everybody,” Andrew said.

“They asked ‘will you?’ and I said ‘yeah!’”

Figures state that there are more than 8,000 children in the Tennessee Foster System waiting for their forever home. Fortunately, there’s one less due to the kindness and compassion of the Gills.

“This is my brother, Joc,” said Andrew.

“This is my brother, Andrew,” said Joc.

Stories like this brings tears of joy to my eyes. I’m so thankful for families like the Gills, and the fact that they’ve given Andrew a forever home.

Share this article if you, too, want to say thank you to the Gills, and to wish Andrew the best moving forward.