Single Woman Adopts Her Adult Friend after Finding Out about the Abuse She Suffered at Home

Beaten, broken, and abandoned, two lost souls collided into one another under the most peculiar circumstances -- but what would come of their special bond?

Mary Banos had experienced many forms of abuse from a young age, leading her into the foster care system. With no healthy biological relatives to lean on, she yearned for normal family life.

Eventually, she would come across another foster child, who too longed for the same thing. Little did she know that she would provide this little girl with this missing piece of the puzzle she could never find for herself.

HORRIFIC CHILDHOOD STORIES

Connie Joi, who was also in the foster system, was only 6 years old when Banos met her in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. During the two years she stayed there, Banos became close to Joi and her foster family, who all seemed happy. However, Banos said:

"I had no idea of the multiple negative things going on, including several types of abuse to Connie."

In 2020, as a single woman and adult, she was shocked to come across a YouTube video by Joi -- now a pediatric nurse and mom. Joi claimed that her foster brother had sexually molested her.

A BLOSSOMING BOND

Although the two had kept in touch over the years, Banos made sure to contact her more often after watching the clip. They switched from the impersonal conversations over Facebook to more intimate talks over the phone.

Through their exchanges, she learned a lot, such as that she, known as "Aunt Mary" to Joi, had been the little girl's only source of safety and comfort. Over time, the two grew closer to one another.

The duo then began frequently talking with each other over the phone. Banos also visited her "niece" twice in 2021, planning to return the following year.

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A LIFELONG PACT

Two of these arranged trips included a visit in May 2021, as well as Thanksgiving, where "Aunt Mary" and Joi made a radical decision. Banos said:

"In the upcoming months, I will be adopting Connie and becoming her mother. I will be her third and final mother."

This was not her only adoptee, with Banos choosing to legally become the mom of a second adult: a mother named Lupita. Now, as Banos said, she could experience what it felt like to have a real family for the first time.

STEPPING INTO A BRIGHT FUTURE

Taking to Facebook on January 12, 2022, Joi opened up about the adoption, stating that she would finally have the mom she deserves. The single mother penned:

"It's never too late to create your family. We can't change who we were born to, but we can choose who we call family! ❤️"

She spoke about how her children will now have a grandmother full of love, expressing that she is incredibly fortunate.

FIGHTING DEATH WITH COMPASSION

"Aunt Mary" and her daughter are living proof that unconditional love and not biology is what defines family.

Addisyn López and her husband Ronald truly stepped into this role when they adopted three terminally ill children.

Addisyn stated that the value of human life isn't dependent on the number of days they have left to live. She also wanted to ensure that these babies pass away with someone loving by their side.

If we all treated our children the way that "Aunt Mary" and this couple do, the world would undoubtedly be a better and more peaceful place for it.