Talia, 18 years old, VA | 27 DAYS WAITING

Wish submitted by:

The Friends of Foster Care

Every morning, before anyone else in the house is awake, Talia hums softly to herself. It is her quiet ritual, a few minutes to get ready for the day and remind herself she is worth the time. Those who know her say her laugh fills a room and that she has a gift for making others feel like they matter. After entering foster care, Talia moved from home to home, sharing rooms and bathrooms and getting ready for school in the margins of other people’s routines. Through it all, she became the steady one, the big sister to younger kids who needed help tying their shoes, finding their backpacks, and feeling okay about walking into a new school. She gave away so much of her own care that she rarely had a moment to receive any. Now a young adult, Talia is working hard toward her dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse, caring for families on the most important day of their lives.

For most of her life, Talia has gotten ready for the day wherever there was room, at a crowded bathroom sink, in the corner of a shared bedroom, or with a small mirror propped against a wall. A vanity of her own would give her a place to sit, look at herself, and start each day with the care she's spent so many years giving to others. After entering foster care and moving from home to home, Talia became the steady big sister to younger kids who needed help, and she rarely had a moment to receive any care herself. The vanity holds her makeup, jewelry, and little treasures, and it's a space that is simply hers as she works toward graduation and her dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse.