Wednesday’s Child: Bella values friendship, hoping to be adopted
May 18, 2022, 2:34 PM | Updated: Sep 19, 2022, 5:48 pm
SANDY, Utah — Bella, 12, finds value in building deep connections with friends and family. She says the word family is special to her.
“It means that they will be by your side, and when they say, ‘Oh, I love you’ but they actually mean it,’ she said.
We got to know Bella over brunch at Sunday’s Best in Sandy. It was there that she shared what it has been like for her living in foster care for the past four years.
“It can be rough because some people are rude,” she said.
Bella shared a story about a recent encounter with a boy at school who teased her about not having a mother.
“He was like, ‘Go cry to your mommy, or wait, you don’t have one,’” she said while fighting back tears. “That really made me sad.”
Bella was close to adoption once, only to be let down. She says that experience left a deep scar. She’s now trying to be brave and open her heart to the idea of adoption once again.
“You don’t know where you’re going to be growing up because life doesn’t turn out how you want it to be,” she said.
Bella describes herself as funny and brave. She also says she’s a little sassy.
“Once you get to know her, she can be friendly and nice,” said Roshawna Carter, Bella’s caseworker for the Department of Child and Family Services.
Carter says Bella values those who are honest and trustworthy, and that she will open up as she sees those values.
“When you first meet her, she has a wall up and doesn’t let people in, but once you get to know her, she is a sweet girl,” Carter said.
Bella likes spending time with her friends and she loves the idea of being adopted by a family with a dog.
“Bella does well with children younger than her,” Carter said.
Carter says Bella needs a family that will provide boundaries and guidance as she enters her teenage years.
“A family who will show and tell Bella they love her and care for her. A family who will listen to her,” she said.
To learn more about Bella, please contact Raise the Future at 801-265-0444, or visit their website.
