Man Gets 10 Minutes to Decide If He Wants to Adopt Week-Old Nephew or He Goes into Foster Care

A man still struggling to stay afloat while pursuing his dreams was put on the spot when asked if he would take his nephew or watch him get taken away to foster care – he had only ten minutes to decide.

Family is an important concept as it represents a group of people that may be willing to make sacrifices for a fellow member in times of strife.

Marcio Donaldson, a talented singer, perfectly embodies what family represents. In 2017, his sister dealt with a drug problem that left her unable to care for the child she had just delivered.

When authorities visited her and saw her state, they were ready to take the baby away; meaning life in the foster system where anything could happen. Donaldson knew the stories, and he could picture the damage it could cause to his nephew.

He was far from comfortable financially, but he couldn't let them take his nephew while he still drew breath – Marcio Donaldson knew it was time to man up. "They came to me they told me I only had 10 minutes to decide, or he goes into the system," said Donaldson. He continued:

"So I said, 'No thank you, I'll take him.' I took that responsibility on because I didn't want him growing up the same way I grew up. I want to do this for him."

Indeed, Donaldson has been through many hardships in his life; He grew up in harsh living conditions, an area where crime never ceased and people no longer flinched at the sound of a gunshot that doesn't render them wounded or dead.

He lived in a roach-infested apartment with his sister and mother as a child. The woman was hardworking, and she did her best to raise Donaldson and his sister properly. However, each day presented a new struggle, and it was hard for them to keep up.

Eventually, when it became apparent that things would not change despite her efforts, Donaldson and his sister had ended up in foster care. It was not an upgrade, but luckily for him, Donaldson found music and turned to it to drown out his pain.

He dreamed that someday he would be able to sing his way out of the dangerous neighborhood he lived in. Such an experience pushed him to take responsibility for his nephew, whom he treats like his child.

Speaking about it, he expressed, "I had no idea what I was doing, but actually, he's a real gift. And it was the right decision, I know. He's changed my life."

His love for the boy and desire to make a living with his voice pushed Donaldson to apply once again to compete in "American Idol" for the second time after making it to the Hollywood stage on his first attempt.

It took him six months of giving his all, but the impromptu father got a golden ticket to the competition at the end of the sixth month.

He hoped to set a good example for the baby boy he adopted, and he returned home with a hope that confirmed he was doing the right thing.