Doctor answers Facebook plea and becomes dad to orphaned teen in incredible twist of fate

When Dr. James C. Wittig saw a Facebook post in 2015 about a teenage boy who had just lost both of his parents, he didn’t hesitate to reach out. The single, never-married orthopedic oncologist had always dreamed of becoming a father, and this felt like his sign.

That message—just a few lines long—would end up reshaping two lives in ways no one could have predicted.

A Facebook post changed both of their lives

Dr. Wittig, who heads the Department of Orthopedics at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, saw the post shared by a former patient. The boy, Ronnie, had recently lost his mother after surgery complications, and his father had passed away shortly before.

Wittig drove to Virginia to meet him. By their second visit, Ronnie made his decision—he wanted to live with Wittig. Two weeks later, legal guardianship was transferred.

"He wanted to live with me."

— Dr. James C. Wittig

Dr. Wittig leapt at the chance to take Ronnie in and hasn't looked back.Instagram | @drjameswittig

A twist that felt destined

Months into their new life together, Wittig recognized something uncanny. Years earlier, as a fellow, he'd treated a young woman with osteosarcoma and helped save her leg. He’d used a photo of her—alongside another patient who’d had an amputation—in lectures for over two decades.

The second woman in that photo, he now realized, was Ronnie’s mother.

"I see this whole thing as a synchronicity."

— Dr. James C. Wittig

He’d never met her, but their stories had crossed in the most unexpected way. “It felt like it was meant to be,” he said.

More than a legal status

Ronnie, now an adult, hasn’t been formally adopted yet—but Wittig considers him his son in every way. Ronnie attended Seton Hall Prep and welding school. He’s thriving.

Wittig says fatherhood has changed his life. “Kindness, compassion, empathy, love, joy, and happiness”—those are just a few of the things Ronnie brought into his world.

"You are amazing to me and my hero!"

— Dr. James C. Wittig on Instagram

It’s never too late to become a parent

Wittig hopes his story will inspire others—especially older, single people—to consider adoption. “I was sending messages out to God,” he said. That prayer led to a family he never saw coming.

If this story moved you, check out AdoptUSKids.org or Child Welfare Information Gateway to learn how you can make a difference in a child’s life.