Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

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 and his adopted son, Ronnie.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.

More For You

man in blue long sleeve shirt carrying baby in white onesie

Dad hacks!

Dad discovers hilarious new hack for calling his daughter downstairs

As every parent knows, getting your child to do the thing you want them to do can be an impossible, Sisyphean task. How can I get my child to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’—and not just utter the words, but actually mean them? What could possibly entice them to help out more around the house? Is going to bed at a reasonable hour something kids actually do, or only an urban legend?

In a Reddit form on r/Parenting, @sabinesse1054 asked a question about the difference between productivity and pleasure.

Keep ReadingShow less
granpa, caregiver, steve lentz, lost parents, stepping up

Grandpa Steve Lentz became primary caregiver for his granddaughter.

maryinthemiddle_/Instagram

When his daughter became a single mom, this Illinois mayor stepped up in a way that’s melting hearts

Raising a child as a single parent is never easy, but one Illinois family is proving that love and support can move mountains—especially when “Pop pop” is involved.

Instagram user @maryinthemiddle_ shared a heartwarming story that’s captured the internet’s attention, featuring her dad, Steve Lentz, stepping up in the most beautiful way to help care for his granddaughter. When Mary’s sister, Anna, found herself navigating motherhood on her own, their dad didn’t hesitate to rearrange his life to become the primary caregiver.

Keep ReadingShow less
DNA, family, testing, secrets, lost history

Representative Image: DNA tests can offer surprised, both small and very, very large.

She took a DNA test for fun—what it revealed gave her father peace after 50 years

When Reddit user @Chillin_killin7 gifted herself an Ancestry DNA kit, she thought she’d be unlocking interesting tidbits about her heritage. Instead, she uncovered the missing piece of a decades-old mystery that had silently weighed on her father for nearly 50 years.

This wasn’t just a holiday surprise—it was a revelation that reshaped their family’s understanding of itself.

Keep ReadingShow less
Christmas gift, present, give gifts, nostalgia, love

Representative Image: Some gifts are worth waiting for.

Watch this grandma get the childhood gift she waited decades for

For most little girls, unwrapping a doll at Christmas is a cherished childhood memory. But for the grandmother of TikToker @elle.nic (Lola), that moment never came. Every holiday, she wished for a doll of her own, but growing up in poverty on a farm during the Great Depression meant such a gift was out of reach. Now, at 90 years old, that long-lost wish was finally granted—thanks to the love and thoughtfulness of her granddaughter.

In a video shared on TikTok, Lola captures the heartwarming moment her grandmother opens a box containing the gift she’d dreamed of for nearly a century. Wearing a festive sweater and a sweet red bow in her hair, the elderly woman is seen unwrapping the package, unaware of the deeply personal surprise inside.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Hemsworth's response to his daughter's big question deserves applause

Chris explains what happened.

Image from ellentube/YouTube video.

Chris Hemsworth's response to his daughter's big question deserves applause

Chris Hemsworth might be best known for swinging a hammer as the Norse god of thunder in “Thor: Ragnarok,” but when it comes to being a dad, he’s just as legendary. The 35-year-old actor and father-of-three had a standout parenting moment that proves he’s more than just a superhero on screen.

It started with a curious question from his daughter

In a 2015 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hemsworth shared a story that starts with his daughter, 4-year-old India, having a very specific question about anatomy—and ends with a beautiful message about identity and acceptance.

Keep ReadingShow less