MARIANNA, FL (WHLG/CNN) - It’s 3 o’clock on a Friday afternoon and the sounds coming from the foosball table are no match for the competitive cries of Eric and Erica, who are part of a team of seven,
And Dashoan and Sofia Olds, their coaches, are now just Mom and Dad.
The Olds have had adoption on their minds for a long time.
“We always wanted to be a blessing and adopt a child,” Dashoan Olds said. But it wasn’t until they saw a local news story about the seven kids, who had been divided up among several foster families, that it felt like a calling.
“It was a done deal from the day we saw the story,” Sofia Olds said. “Before we even met them, it was a done deal.”
Her husband felt the same way.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve got to do this. It’s time. There’s no maybe. We have to do this,’” Dashoan Olds said.
And so they did. They welcomed Ava, Erica, Eric, Zavian, Leondras, Reginald and Necia into their home.
Necia, at 12, the oldest of the bunch, said she thought this day would never come.
“We thought we would never get adopted, but I thought this was a really good blessing for us,” Necia said.
Blair Bell with Life Management Center was told that she should have the children adopted out separately.
“I heard from so many people that finding a home for seven children would be impossible,” Bell said. “Siblings, that’s the longest bond that you’ll have. It was very important to find a home that would be able to take all seven and make a real forever family.”
The parents of this new family have a lot to teach.
“We’re going to build their faith up. We’re going to build them educationally,” Dasoan Olds said. “We’re going to get them active in a sport or an activity, or something extracurricular. And we’re going to love each other. So, we’re going to do all of it.”
For those considering adopting children, Dashoan and Sofia Olds say to keep an open mind and remember there is never a truly perfect time for anything. According to the Life Management Center, more than 900 children in Florida are awaiting adoption in Florida alone.
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