Jayoni

From the very beginning, my story has been one shaped by patience, perseverance, and the kind of love that shows up long before the world knows your name. When I was little, I was developmentally delayed and struggled with speech and language. Words felt far away, and communicating what I felt inside didn’t always come easily. I was evaluated early on and qualified for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and eventually a special needs preschool at just 3 years old. It was a big world for small shoulders, but I had an army of people who believed I could grow into it. And I did.

With the help of therapists, teachers, my family, and the Espinos, my God-family who became a second home, I found my voice. Today, I sing in the school chorus, stepped confidently into this year’s spelling bee, and discovered that acting feels like breathing magic into the world. I’m a joyful and brave girl, learning every day to remember who I am in God and to walk boldly in the purpose He wrote for me.

Life in our big family is full of color, especially pink, my favorite. I sing, dance, and play outside with friends for hours if you let me. And some of my happiest moments are when we help care for the children who come through our home in foster care. It’s exciting to meet new little ones, learn their personalities, and love them for however long they’re with us. Some goodbyes have broken our hearts, especially the ones where we had kids for over a year who then moved out of state. We don’t get to see them anymore, but we still get pictures and updates, and knowing they’re doing well brings peace to all of us.

I share a special bond with my sister, Jayniah, another God-child of the Espino family. We’ve grown up side by side, learning, loving, grieving, and growing together through all the years of fostering and adoption that shaped this family. We’ve watched Stevie’s story unfold, cried over the ones who left, and celebrated every miracle in between. Being her sister has been one of the sweetest gifts in my life.

This year, I celebrated my 10th birthday, another year older, another year braver, another year more rooted in who I’m becoming. And while my story began with challenges, it continues with joy, purpose, and a family by blood and by God’s design that loves me without limits.