. My sister, nephew and I had just finished shopping. “Are you riding home with Me or TT? “ My sister asked. The two-year-old hesitated. He glanced at his snacks in my jeep, then back at my sister. “TT,” he said finally. I secured him in his seat, put the jeep in drive, and started to pull away. He glanced out the window. My sister was just pulling out of her parking space. “Mama!” he yelled. I glanced in the review mirror. “Camdyn, It’s ok. We are following her.” He glared at me. I’m not sure why he decided to ride with me. I guess the lure of treats made listening to his stomach a priority. He kept his eyes glued to the truck in front of us, screeching “Where go?” anytime it rounded a bend or a car moved between us. As we finally pulled into the driveway behind my sister, and a gleeful smile transformed his worried face, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who he thought of as his mamma. It is the woman who answered the call from CPS and welcomed him into her home at 3:30 one morning when he was only nine months old. It is the woman who soothes him when he is scared or upset. Who kisses his scrapes, wipes his tears, and celebrates his achievements. It’s the woman who taught him how to walk and talk. The one who plans holidays and birthdays with family and friends to create happy memories. She comforts him through earaches, doctor appointments, and sleepless nights. She has taught him to care for his puppy, lizard, and fish. That woman — my sister — is the one who fills the role of mama in Camdyn’s life.

The direction of his future is uncertain as the biological parents dance with the court in an attempt to prove they can provide a stable, loving home from the confines of the correction system. A system they will live in for another four years.

Please help his foster mama — the only mother he knows — raise the money she needs to become his legal guardian.