9-year-old holds lemonade stand for heart-wrenching reason
Tristan Jacobson is in the 3rd grade in Springfield, Missouri and — like what most kids his age do when it gets warmer — set up a lemonade stand at the end of his driveway. But he wasn't hoping to get money to buy a video game or new toy. He was saving every dollar he could so he could be adopted.
Jacobson was just 4 years old when his biological mother left him in the doorway at a Missouri shelter. When he was 5, Donnie Davis and her husband Jimmy took him in and have been raising him ever since.
The Davis family wanted to make Jacobson their son officially on paper, even though they already thought of him as their own.
%shareLinks-quote="This is more for reassurance for him, knowing that he has his forever family and he has our name." type="quote" author="Donnie Davis" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%
Photo: Youcaring.com
"This is more for reassurance for him, knowing that he has his forever family and he has our name," Donnie told the Springfield News-Leader.
Despite the desire, they couldn't afford the legal fees to go through with the adoption. That's when this darling 9-year-old stepped in, selling bottles of lemonade for $1 each to help make Donnie and Jimmy his legal mom and dad.
%shareLinks-quote="She will be my parent. I'm happy because I have a new mom who loves me. " type="quote" author="Tristan Jacobson" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%
He set a goal and saved the money to accomplish it — talk about learning a major lesson early on in life. Jacobson said he wanted to raise $5,000 but surpassed that immensely, raising $7,100 from the lemonade stand and a yard sale and almost the same amount from a YouCaring.com fundraiser.
"It means everything," Donnie told the Springfield News-Leader. "He is absolutely our son. He is in our hearts."
Donnie said that any money left over after the legal fees for the adoption will go toward Jacobson's college fund.
If you're considering adoption, there are several methods you can use to be financially prepared. (Read about possible finance options to help pay for your adoption here.) Since adoption can be pricey, many potential parents turn to loans. If you choose to borrow money to fund an adoption, having a good credit score may help. You can see two of your credit scores for free, updated each month, on Credit.com.
Now check out the most creative (and delicious) lemonade recipes:
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This article originally appeared on Credit.com.
