Persian was an 11-year-old girl who desperately wanted a family of her own.

Patrick and Brennen Cannon were a couple who were ready to open their home and their hearts to a child who needed love and guidance.

Thanks to Boys Town North Florida's help, Persian now calls Patrick and Brennen "Dad" and "Mom."

Rewind to several years ago. Persian had come to Boys Town North Florida as a foster child. She had been through three unsuccessful adoptions, partly due to problems in those families and partly because of her behavioral issues, which included not following instructions and not being able to express her feelings appropriately. These difficulties also had hurt Persian's progress in school.

In her Boys Town Family Home, Persian had bonded with her Family-Teachers^®, the trained married couple who cared for and taught skills to her and other girls in the residence. This was important because when Patrick and Brennen entered the picture as possible adoptive parents for Persian, the Family-Teachers immediately began mentoring them on how to address and teach to her behaviors.

The Cannons, from the very beginning, were both engaged and willing to do whatever was required to adopt Persian and provide her with the home, love and structure she needed. They even took Boys Town foster care classes in order to become licensed therapeutic foster parents and use all the strategies Boys Town uses with the youth in its care, as well as received the ongoing support needed by consultants in this program.    

At first, Persian expressed interest in being adopted by the Cannons, but also would say she was "not ready for that yet." However, in March 2018, she moved in with Brennen and Patrick to prepare for that big event. After just a few weeks in her new home, she fell in love with the couple and began to call them "Mom" and "Dad."

On August 9, 2018, Persian was formally adopted by the Cannons. The little girl who had waited so long had finally found her forever family.

Today, Persian is friends with the kids in her new neighborhood and has gotten to know many other members of the Cannons' extended family. She still has some difficulty expressing her feelings, and Patrick and Brennen continue to work with her on using skills like having empathy and compromising. But whatever happens, the bond they share helps them get through it together as a loving family.  

"With the addition of Persian, our family has become complete," Brennen said. "She is energetic, kind and smart. We can't imagine our lives without her.