13-Year-Old Birth Announcement: Photos of 112 lb Adopted Teen Go Viral (PHOTOS)
Photos released by a mom for her 13-year-old's "birth announcement" have gone viral.
"Here's my sweet not so little newborn! His name is Latrell and weighs 112 lbs.," Kelli Higgins posted on Facebook along with a number of photos of the boy in angelic poses.
Latrell and his sister were adopted by Higgins and her husband two years ago, coming to live with the couple and their other five biological children in Crestview, Florida.
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Higgins has explained to Today, "These children, once they get past a certain age, they don't find homes and they age out of foster care. They have to figure out the world on their own and there's no one to go back to as an adult. Where do you go for Christmas? It's just horrible, it's heartbreaking."
A few years back Higgins and her husband were told by social services that Latrell, then aged 10, and his sister, Chanya, then aged 5, were desperately looking for a family. Higgins recalled that her husband and her discussed their decision, but her husband ultimately said, "Let's just go for it."
Just days later the two children arrived at their new home to live with their new adopted family.
Higgins, a professional photographer, has explained that last month she was telling her family that she was preparing for a baby photo shoot. Latrell mentioned that he wished he had baby photos of himself, but obviously due to his scattered upbringing he had nothing from his young childhood.
Higgins' other 12 year old daughter was the one who came up with the suggestion that her mom should recreate a newborn photo session for Latrell.
Higgins explained how she and Latrell went into her studio the next day to conduct the shoot, with both of them giggling and laughing through the entire session.
The photos were posted on Higgin's Facebook page where they have since gone viral, gathering thousands of shares and hundreds of comments.
One blogger posted, "This is such a beautiful thing to do!"
Higgins has said, "The one reaction that is really humbling and I'm really excited about is there have been a lot of parents that come to me telling me that they were thinking about adopting a baby, but after seeing those photos it's changed their minds and they want to adopt an older child."
