BUDA, Texas — As he races to the finish line, one Central Texas boy hopes he finds his forever family waiting for him at the end.
Victor dreams of being a racecar mechanic when he grows up, and he got a taste of it earlier than he expected when he went out to Esses Racing in Buda.
The 12-year-old got the VIP tour from Dave O'Neil, the former Formula One general manager of Haas and the current manager of Esses Racing.
"I want to look at all the engines," Victor said as they toured millions of dollars worth of racecars, including McLarens, Mercedes, Lamborghinis and NASCARs.
Victor was in car heaven. He sat in the seat of a racecar and lifted the hoods to check out each engine.
While all of this was well and fun, Victor wanted to get his hands dirty, so O'Neil gave him that chance.
"I want to work here so I can learn more," Victor told O'Neil.
Victor started at square one, cleaning the cars. He quickly proved himself and moved up to a full-time mechanic changing tires with the staff.
"I'm a pretty good helper," Victor said.
When Victor is not working, he likes dancing, doing magic tricks, playing outside and giving people hugs. He also likes cracking jokes.
"I'm thinking about a new name for him ... Mr. Slowpoke," Victor said when he beat one of the mechanics changing a tire.
With all the smiles in the world to give, Victor wants to share them with an adventurous, patient and loving family.
"I really like them with all of my heart," Victor said.
PHOTOS | Forever Families: Meet Victor
Victor admitted he struggles in school sometimes but he is "working on it."
He needs a structured, consistent family who can give him the attention and support to succeed.
The ideal family would need to recognize the importance of continued therapeutic services to ensure Victor's needs are fully met so he can live a happy and productive life. The family would also need to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Victor and be willing to access the resources he needs.
Victor is still in touch with his own siblings, who have been adopted and would love to find a family who could allow him to continue those relationships.
Until he finds his forever family though, Esses Racing said he has a home and a future there if he wants it.
To learn more about Victor or to put in an inquiry to adopt him, visit his page on the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.
This month is Foster Care Awareness Month. Local child welfare organizations are working together with Fostering Hope to recruit community members who are looking to support foster families and children in the Austin community by providing short-term childcare. Fostering Hope partners with local child-placing agencies to meet the state’s requirements for foster care babysitters. The next training dates for babysitter training are coming up in July, and are hosted virtually.
If you are looking for a way to get involved and make a difference with children like the ones we feature each week on Forever Families, please visit the Heart Gallery website to find the link to register.
MORE FOREVER FAMILIES CHILDREN:
- Bright and funny, this teen looking for his forever family loves to skate and play music
- From the outdoors to the books, this well-rounded Austin teen is looking for a family to accept him
- Austin-area teen hopes community will help her get adopted by loving family
- 'I love you' | 9-year-old Austin-area boy sends this message to his future family
- 13-year-old Central Texas boy takes leap of faith to find a family