Parenting is more than just a genetic connection.
This teenage boy was faced with a choice on his 17th birthday, choosing to move in with his mom and his biological father or stick around and stay loyal to the man who raised him. And in this story, his real dad was more than just a relative, he was the father figure who stepped up.
As many adoptive parents would agree, becoming a parent is less about your DNA match with a child and more about your relationship with their spirit. Parents must choose their offspring, caring for them and nurturing their lives as they grow and become adults. A person's biological component, while important to a kid's future, is far more benign than having a present adult who supports them, loves them, and backs them up. So when the teenage boy in this next story was faced with a parental dilemma, he chose the parent who never left him or let him down, regardless of their lack of genetic ties.
Keep scrolling to read the story of a kid whose loyalty was well-placed as he chose his true dad over the man who destroyed his family.
This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.