Single Man Walks Away From His Career To Adopt A Young Non-Verbal Boy Who Finally Feels Loved & Finds His Voice

Feb 07, 2023 by apost team

There’s nothing greater than a parent’s love for a child. In fact, the love of a parent for a child is immeasurable; they are willing to sacrifice many things for them – including their careers. While all parents deserve an award, there’s a special place for parents who adopt children and treat them as their own and give them their forever home.

Take it from Ruben Ramos, a gay man who did not let his sexuality define his fatherhood and instead turned it into an inspiring story worth emulating. Ramos' journey to becoming a dad wasn’t easy, but he definitely earned every bit of it.

An immigrant from Mexico, Ramos moved to Texas when he was 7. He experienced bullying for most of his life, growing up gay and coming from a lower-income community. Despite his struggles in life, he managed to graduate from high school and was the first one to earn a bachelor’s degree from his class.

He then became a Marketing Director at the age of 29. But his greatest achievement? Becoming a dad. For Ramos, it was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a decision he had always wanted to make.  

Ramos' realization came when he volunteered for a Children’s Advocacy Center at the age of 15.

In March 2016, he finally applied for an adoption license – the same day he applied for his US citizenship. A year later, he finally became a US citizen, and three days later, he met Hector. He described the training and license process as both “tough” and “overwhelming."

But in November 2016, he finally became licensed to adopt. While he initially applied for “adopt only” because he didn’t want to become attached to the child, his life changed in June 2017 when he attended his third foster event.

“I met the little guy that stole my heart. This kid anchored every bit of me and changed my entire life. This is when I finally met Hector,” Ramos said. “I still remember the very first time I saw him. I remember what he was wearing, I remember the look in his eyes and how innocent he looked. I couldn’t stop looking at him.”

Hector, who was 7 at that time, could only speak a few Spanish words and some English but was considered non-verbal.

Ramos wasn’t selected to be Hector’s foster dad, but he was finally certified Foster To Adopt.

“I remember when and where I was when they told me I was not selected. I was heartbroken; in my heart I just knew he was the one. He was it, he was the child I envisioned,” Ramos said.

In January 2018, he still wasn’t selected. Finally, Ramos got a call from his case worker and was told about Hector.

Ramos sought out multiple providers, programs, and an autism 101 parent training and ABA training. He gave everything to provide Hector with the support that he needed, but became exhausted juggling work and becoming a parent to Hector. So, he walked away from his career.

In October 2019, Hector called Ramos “dad” for the very first time, leaving him sobbing for 15 minutes.

"I’ve always believed the title of a father can easily be obtained by the match of DNA or by a legal signature. But the title of a Dad is earned, and it’s a title only a child can choose to give you," Ramos shared.

They became each other’s forever family in August 2020.

“There was no way I was going to fail him. I have fought along his side since day one,” Ramos said.

apost.com

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