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I pose this question not to disrespect Davion Only’s family, but because it’s a legitimate concern: Why are Davion’s relatives coming forward now –after 15 years — to seek custody of Davion when he’s been living in foster care his entire life?

Why now?

Davion, a 15-year-old orphan, became an instant national symbol for the foster care system after his emotional plea for adoption went viral.

“I’ll take anyone,” Davion said as he stood in the pulpit of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida on a recent Sunday morning. “Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don’t care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be.”

Eckerd Community Alternatives, the adoption agency handling Davion’s case, has received about 10,000 requests from people asking to adopt him. The requests have come from across the country and far corners of the world, including Mexico, Iran, Canada, Australia, Great Britain and India – and the traffic nearly crashed Eckerd’s website.

The timing of these 10,000 requests comes as Davion’s relatives have suddenly come forward to express their desire to adopt Davion.

I haven’t met Davion’s family and I don’t know all the details, but here are some undeniable facts:

Davion only discovered the identity of his mother earlier this year, weeks after she died from a heart attack. Davion’s mother, La Dwina ‘Big Dusty’ McCloud, was a crack addict who gave birth to Davion while she was in a drug rehabilitation facility, according to Mailonline.

McCloud got her nickname “Big Dusty” because she was 6 feet tall and weighed more than 260 pounds, Mailonline reported. She lost her legs and eyesight to diabetes and Davion also has the disease. Davion was also overweight but worked hard to lose 40 pounds.

COMMENTARY: Davion Only’s Family Suddenly Wants to Adopt Him: Why Now?  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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