Orphan Boy, Davion Only's Desperate Plea for Loving Home 'Made Whole Church Cry,' Says Pastor; 500 People Inquire About Adoption
Davion Only, a 15-year-old orphan who recently made a desperate plea for someone to adopt him at a church in St. Petersburg, Fla., "made the whole church cry" with his story, and now more than 500 people have enquired about adopting him.
Davion's story took America by storm after the Tampa Bay Times reported on the teen's heart-wrenching plea at the pulpit of St. Mark Missionary Church in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The teen, who was born while his mother was in jail, had been waiting all his life for his mother to come back for him and take him out of foster care. But that plan ended in June, when after a search for information on the Internet he discovered that his mother had died.
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Instead of giving up on his dream of finding a loving family, however, Davion put himself together and accompanied by his foster care case worker, Connie Going, he took his faith to church.
"My name is Davion and I've been in foster care since I was born. I know God hasn't given up on me. So I'm not giving up either," the amazingly optimistic boy told the 300-member congregation.
"I'll take anyone," he said. "Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don't care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be."
St. Mark's pastor, the Rev. Brian Brown, who allowed the boy to talk to his congregants said the whole church burst out in tears.
"It just ripped at me. I had a number of them (congregants) saying 'pastor if I just had room I would take him tomorrow,'" said Brown according to an ABC News report.
Going said Davion's bravery has been an inspiration to the 12 other teenage boys at Eckerd's Carlton Manor residential group home where Davion currently resides.
"I think it's a human's right to be loved and feel wanted and when you don't feel that you are, it's hard to succeed in life," said Going.
When asked what he wanted to tell America, the boy who has captured America's heart simply said, "It's that to love me forever. I just want people to love me and to grab me and keep me in their house no matter what."
More than 500 people have inquired about adopting Davion but no decision on a family for him has yet been made.
(If you would like to adopt Davion call Eckerd at 866-233-0790. If you can't adopt but want to donate time or money, call Eckerd at 727-456-0600.)
