It was a day full of joy and happy tears at Third Circuit Court in downtown Detroit for Adoption Day.
Children are adopted daily, but Adoption Day brings awareness to how powerful it is to finalize the process and be a child’s forever home—counties across Michigan and U.S.-hosted celebrations.
In the fiscal year of 2023, 1,600 children were adopted in Michigan. Presiding family division judge for the Third Circuit Court, Hon. Cylenthia LaToye Miller, said the challenge Wayne County faces is the volume of cases; there is a great need for people to adopt.
Miller believes adoption gives children in foster care a fighting chance against alarming statistics.
“Suicide rates, the crime rates, the drug addiction, the teenage pregnancies—this helps stop that from happening,” said Miller.
Friday, Miller made the adoption of a seven-month-old boy final.
“The name of the adoptee will no longer be Baby Doe,” Miller said. “It is officially now Oliver Patrick Mazur.”
His parents, Dan and Bessie Mazur, as well as his big sister, Ruth Mazur, cried tears of gratitude.
Oliver Mazur was a safe surrender at birth and has been staying with the Mazur family ever since.
“From the moment we met him, we knew,” said Bessie.
“He’s born on my grandpa’s 90th birthday,” Dan said. “My grandpa’s name is Patrick, so his middle name is Patrick.”
They also believe their daughter, Ruth, was destined to be Oliver’s big sister.
“Ruth just knew right away,” Bessie said. “She said that’s my baby brother. I know we’re going to be able to adopt him, and she knew immediately.”
The family experienced secondary infertility after having their daughter and said it was a five-year journey to get to this point.
There was heartbreak, but they told Local 4 Oliver was worth the wait.
They could have experienced the official adoption privately but chose to share it with the community for Adoption Day.
“It feels very isolating when you can’t grow your family the way you want,” Bessie said. “I want people to know that there’s other options.”