Teacher adopts 12-year-old student and welcomes him into her family
A real life Matilda scenario has happened as a teacher has changed her students life by adopting him.
Just like Miss Honey, 43-year-old Lourdes Lopez has adopted her 12-year-old student Scott White.
She first met him when he joined her fifth grade class at Miami Heights Elementary in September 2017.
Scott had been in foster care for three years and was left without a home after going through a failed adoption in 2016, when he was in the fourth grade.
Lourdes was heartbroken when she discovered a second adoption had fallen through in Spring 2018 and decided to speak to her husband George Lopez, 50, about helping.
Shed always had a soft spot for Scott, who was separated from his four siblings after they were taken out of their birth mothers care when he was five.
Lourdes wanted to change Scotts life, and spoke to George about the adoption, discussing it with their sons, 10-year-old Adrian and George, 14.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Scott officially joined their family in August this year.
The adoption will be finalised on 10 December – making Lourdes a real-life version of Miss Honey, the lovely teacher who adopts Matilda Wormwood in the book.
She said: Its been wonderful. He gets along so great with my boys. They fight sometimes like all brothers do but they really get along so great.
He started with Fs and but now hes getting As and Bs.
Hes so much more social, hes lost weight, hes really interested in soccer. Hes just a completely different child.
This was completely meant to be. Its amazing. Scott was meant to be a part of our family.
Scott said: I liked her class because she treated me good and was nice. She was different because she treated me like I was one of her kids.
When I found out about the adoption I was excited to have a new family and I was happy.
Lourdes and George will officially adopt Scott in a ceremony on 19 December.
She said the moment she met him after his case worker broke the news was special.
She explained: When I heard that the second adoption had failed, that was devastating.
I called his case manager and she basically said I had two options: give Scott a forever home or consider fostering him.
I discussed it with my husband and he thought it was a good idea.
We have two sons together so we also had a chat with them about it because it would impact their lives.
Advertisement
Advertisement
They were ecstatic.
We started the background checks at the beginning of the summer.
Scotts case manager told him, but when we met during a visitation, he just gave me the biggest hug.
That day was so perfect he spent it playing with my sons.
We started with week day visits, which turned into sleepovers as the summer progressed. He moved in with us officially on August 15 2018.
Lourdes says Scotts confidence and personality have completely changed since he was adopted. Hes happier and doing much better.
She said: Scott was five years old when he was taken away from his mother.
He was in foster care for three years, luckily with the same foster mother but he had two failed adoptions.
I knew from the beginning that Scott was special. All my students used to joke that I loved Scott the most. I just knew he needed love.
When he first started in my class, he sat right next to me and wore this hoody 24/7.
More: Families
He really hated group work and buddy work and he didnt start opening up until the middle of the year.
I had spoken to my mom quite a lot about Scott and I told her I wished I could just take him home.
Advertisement
I knew underneath it all the infamous Scott was a really sweet, good boy.
Scott added: Its been really good since I moved in. I get along with Adrian and George really good.
MORE: We never saw the signs says son of domestic abuser who killed mum and sister
MORE: Man surprises girlfriend with a proposal in an escape room
Advertisement
Advertisement
