Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

After years of hoping to become a dad, Dr. James C. Wittig found his family in the most unexpected way.

Dr. James C. Wittig always dreamed of being a father, but as a dedicated physician, he had never married or had children. Then, in 2015, a Facebook post changed his life forever. The post was about a teenage boy, Ronnie, who had tragically lost both his parents and needed a home. Moved by the young boy’s story, Wittig reached out—and in doing so, unknowingly stepped into a remarkable twist of fate.


At the time, Wittig was already an accomplished orthopedic oncologist and the Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at Morristown Medical Center. He was no stranger to helping people, but he never imagined just how deeply connected he already was to the child he was about to raise.

A long-lost connection

Before meeting Ronnie, Wittig had spent years using a particular photograph in his medical lectures. The image showed two women who had both battled osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. One of the women in the photo had undergone limb-sparing surgery, a procedure Wittig was passionate about advocating for in his field. He had treated that woman as a fellow, later becoming her doctor when his mentor retired.

The second woman in the image had a different path—her leg had been amputated due to her cancer. While Wittig never met or treated her, their lives would become forever intertwined.

When he first saw the Facebook post about Ronnie, Wittig didn't yet know who his mother was. He only knew that the boy had lost both parents and needed a home. Touched by the story, he reached out to his former patient—the very same woman from his lecture photo whose leg had been saved. She had shared the post, desperately hoping to find someone willing to take in her late friend’s son.

A decision that changed everything

Wittig wasted no time. In February 2015, he drove from his home near Morristown, New Jersey, to northern Virginia to meet Ronnie. After spending time together, the boy wanted to meet Wittig’s family. Only hours after their second visit, Ronnie made his decision—he wanted to live with Wittig.

Within two weeks, the legal guardianship was transferred, and Ronnie moved in. It wasn’t until months later that Wittig made a stunning discovery. The mother of the boy he had just taken in was the second woman from his medical lectures—the patient he had never met but whose story he had unknowingly carried with him for years.

“I see this whole thing as a synchronicity,” Wittig said, believing that fate had played a role in bringing them together.

More than just a piece of paper

Now an adult, Ronnie has attended Seton Hall Prep and completed welding school, building a future for himself with Wittig by his side. While the doctor has not yet legally adopted him, he believes the process will be finalized in the coming years. But to him, the paperwork isn’t what defines their bond.

Being a father has been “so fulfilling,” Wittig shared. “Ronnie has taught me kindness, compassion, empathy, love, joy, and happiness.”

"It’s one of the biggest miracles in my life and I am so proud to call you my son!"

— Dr. James C. Wittig

Wittig hopes that their story will inspire other single men and women who want to become parents. He believes that love, not traditional family structures, is what makes a home.

For Ronnie, the loss of his parents was an unimaginable tragedy. But through a twist of fate, he found a new family in a man who was unknowingly connected to his mother all along.

More For You

woman in brown shirt covering her face

It normalizes vulnerability.

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Mom encourages parents to let their kids see them cry in emotional video

Kids often look at their parents like superheroes–strong, confident and indestructible. But of course, they are human. And with that comes feeling and expressing emotions, some that are sad and heavy–especially when dealing with the loss of a loved one.

And Instagrammer Ashley Lemieux (@ashleyklemiuex), a grief expert who has her Masters in Science with an emphasis in Grief and Bereavement, shared why she believes kids should see their parents cry.

Keep ReadingShow less
parents signing into their baby's crib; a baby with sensors stuck on his head

Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo share their journey learning sign language with son Luca.

thelacouple/Instagram

Couple documents emotional journey learning sign language after son is born deaf

When Callie Foster (@thelacouple) and her husband Leo welcomed their baby boy Luca into the world in 2021, they received an unexpected health diagnosis. After failing his newborn hearing screenings twice, and following further testing, at six weeks old they were told that Luca was profoundly Deaf. As first-time hearing parents, it was overwhelming and emotional news that they have shared with their followers on Instagram. "We grieved the sounds we thought he'd never hear, the whispered I love yous, the world we assumed he'd miss out on," Callie wrote in an Instagram video detailing their journey with Luca.

But they immediately took action, researching and engaging with online parenting and Deaf communities. One mother's advice changed everything: ‘All your baby needs is love and language—keep singing, keep talking, but most importantly, start signing.' So they did.

Keep ReadingShow less
madeliefvis_, the greatest showman, wedding

Maddie (madeliefvis_) and her family practice dance from 'The Greatest Showman' for sister's wedding.

madeliefvis_/Instagram

Family practiced epic dance from 'The Greatest Showman' for 8 months to surprise sister at her wedding

Surprise performances at wedding receptions are always iconic. And TikToker Maddie (@madeliefvis) and her entire family pulled off one for the books. To surprise her sister who was getting married, they learned the dance and exact choreography for the song "From Now On" from the movie The Greatest Showman to surprise her at their wedding reception.

"Watch our family practice for 8 months to learn this dance from my sister's favorite movie as a surprise for her wedding," she wrote in the video's caption.

Keep ReadingShow less
kimberly dowdell, reunion, down syndrome

Brothers Blake and Jack have an emotional reunion.

thekimberlydowdell/Instagram

Teen with Down syndrome travels hundreds of miles for incredible reunion with brother

Going off to college is the break-free moment that most young adults long for. While the newfound freedom is an amazing change, it is also a time of transition--which can bring a lot of uncomfortable feelings with the adjustment. It can be overwhelming, scary, and unfamiliar. So when mom Kimberly DowDell (@thekimberlydowdell) received a message from her son Blake that he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed during his second semester at college, she knew exactly what to do. She loaded up the family, including her husband and Blake's brother Jack (who has Down syndrome), and got on the road to go see him. And the brothers had an emotional reunion that was shared on social media.

"Blake is in his second semester of college, and being away from home can be hard. When he told us he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed, we didn’t even think twice—we jumped in the car and drove 286 miles just to be there for him," she wrote in the post's Instagram caption. "To remind him he’s not alone. To give him words of encouragement. To wrap him in a hug that says, we see you, we love you, and we’re always here for you."

Keep ReadingShow less
Hand dyeing brassy hair

A beautiful hair journey.

Fabulous son helps his mom embrace gray hair after years of dyeing

Have you watched The Substance? I have not (body horror isn't really my thing), but from what I gather, the message at the film's core is profound: Don't resist aging because doing so only invokes chaos and destruction. This sounds nice in theory, but there's so much pressure to age the "right" way in the real world. Older women especially face an impossible task: aging "gracefully" while the world around you treats youth as the ultimate prize.

However, a viral YouTube video is not-so-quietly rewriting society's beauty rules. When celebrity hairstylist Guy Tang's mom decided to embrace her natural gray hair and stop dyeing it dark, she turned to her son for help. The transformation, documented in one of Tang's many videos, took over eight hours to complete—an astounding testament to the power of reclaiming authority and recognizing the beauty of aging.

Keep ReadingShow less