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After Finding Forever Family, Former Foster Child Gives Back
| By Lauren Boudreau
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Robbie was four years old when he was taken away from his drug-addicted and homeless parents, explains Jim Westhoff, Robbie’s father, in a post on Imgur. Jim and Cindy Westhoff discovered Robbie when he was placed in Cindy’s second grade class halfway through the school year.
“Before he joined the class,” Westhoff said, “a social worker explained to my wife that he was four years old when he was taken away from his drug-addicted, homeless, criminal parents. Since then, he has been in at least six different foster homes, some better than others.”
Later that summer, the Westhoffs found out his current foster parents were getting divorced, which would mean that Robbie would be sent back into the system to only “God knows where.” That’s when they knew Robbie should become their son.
“…We had a three-bedroom house, no kids, a half-acre yard, a big, dumb dog, everything a person needs to raise a boy…” Westhoff said in his post.
Finally in a loving home, he flourished.
Robbie became a star athlete, particularly thriving at cross country. He was so inspired by the movie The Blind Side, about Michael Oher who was in a similar situation early in life and became a professional football player, that Westhoff wrote the Baltimore Ravens asking if they could send some signed memorabilia. Only a couple months later, Robbie got to meet Oher and have a “long and personal conversation” with him about overcoming challenges when Oher’s agent called and said they would be in town.
After realizing his luck in finding a loving family, Robbie knew he had to do something to help other kids in the system.
Westhoff recounts on Imgur: “Rob and I were building something in the workshop, when he starts talking about what it’s like to be a foster kid during the holidays. He said one year, at one family, he had to sit under the tree, on Christmas morning, and be happy for the biological kids who were opening presents, but he received nothing.”
Therefore, they started Presents From Robbie, a secret Santa service that matches kids with their secret Santas. They worked with Delaware’s Division of Family Services to identify kids in need and get their wish lists. That year, they delivered gifts to 50 foster kids. However, the project soon grew and they eventually matched 284 secret Santas for 136 children.
Now, Robbie is all grown up and entering the Air Force Academy. Already having passed his fitness tests, his goal is to become an instructor for the Air Force’s SERE program.
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