Teachers Adopt Former Student Who Had Multiple Amputations: 'We Were A Family’

Feb 13, 2023 by apost team

Married teachers Jenna and Tim Riccio from Connecticut are now the delighted parents of a former student who had many health challenges, including multiple amputations before he was even ten years old. The pair never thought twice about welcoming Nate into their lives after they witnessed how he fought and persevered to stay alive.

Nate lost his left arm, his lower legs, and half of the fingers on his right hand due to a complication of his disease. The boy was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, a type of genetic blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin cells. When these abnormal cells die inside the body, they clog the flow of blood, leading to infection, so Nate needed the amputation to prevent the infection from poisoning his body. 

In 2019, Jenna, who works as a first-grade teacher at Walsh Elementary School, went to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center when she learned that the Department of Children and Families had taken Nate from his biological family and planned to place him in foster care after his doctors became worried that he would not get his needed medical treatments. 

Concerned about Nate's situation, Jenna discussed fostering the child with her then-boyfriend, Tim, the art teacher, after discovering that the boy's mom was not even around to visit him. Jenna believed she and Tim could foster the child and care for everything he needed. Tim was on board with his girlfriend's plan.

Speaking with "Good Morning America," Jenna said that she and her partner went through a series of vetting, inspections and workshops to qualify as foster carers and was in the program in less than two weeks. 

When Nate was discharged from the hospital in October 2019, he went home to Jenna, his foster mother, and Tim moved in as well.

"Within weeks, it felt like we were a family," Tim said, per People. 

The boy had been living with the couple for some time when Tim and Jenna decided to get married. In May 2021, Nate served as the couple's ring bearer. By late winter, the Riccios welcomed Julien, their biological daughter, with Nate as the proud big brother. Jenna said that Julien is "obsessed" with her brother and "lights up when she hears his voice."

But the family has yet to be completed in November 2022 when Nate's adoption as the couple's son became official. The boy, now carrying the Riccio family name as well, was one of 50 kids who received a permanent transfer of guardianship with the Department of Children and Families. He was under the foster care program for 1,142 days, per CT Insider. 

Jenna was hopeful that Nate could still be reunited with his mom and dad but knew, without any doubt, that the best place for the boy would be with her and Tim. In Nate, Jenna said that she learned to be a mother. On the other hand, Tim saw a true example of resiliency and perseverance in his son. 

Today, Nate is thriving in school and has learned to use his prosthetic legs. He will still need more surgeries and treatments, but his health has been so much better with Jenna and Tim's guidance. 

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How wonderful is this outcome for the Riccio family? What can you say about Nate's journey and the devotion of the couple toward their son? Pass this story along to someone who needs to know of this beautiful story!