GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When I asked 15-year-old Madicen what her favorite board game was, the answer was easy.
“My favorite game of all is Ticket to Ride,” Madicen said.
“I’m a pro at this game.”
I can vouch Madicen is a master at the railway race across the continental U.S.
Soft spoken at first, it didn’t take long for us to see her fun competitive side.
Madicen loves sitting around a table with friends playing games, but she’s also just as content spending time alone with her horse, Jewel.
“She’s brown, has a black mane and tail,” Madicen said.
“She’s pretty energetic, but she has a white little diamond on her.”
Another love? Catching some serious z’s.
“I like to sleep and could sleep all day,” Madicen said.
She jokes she can sleep 24/7 but is serious about her dreams of finding a forever home. She admits her journey through the foster care system hasn’t been easy, and it’s why she hopes to help kids just like her as an attorney for those needing a permanent home.
“I want them to succeed, and I want them to be in a good home,” Madicen said.
“I want them to go back to their parents if they can go to their parents.”
She knows she’s not guaranteed a placement. But it’s evident, this Christmas, the only gift that truly matters to Madicen is a family to call her own.
“It’d mean everything,”
If you would like to learn more about Madicen, the adoption process or just becoming a foster or even a mentor, head to orchards.org.
