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SALT LAKE CITY — On the soccer field, 11-year-old Vivian feels at ease. She is a happy and athletic girl with an adventurous spirit, on and off the field.
"One time I was dared to do a double front flip and land it, and I'm like, 'OK'," Vivian said.
She's broken nine bones, a number almost as big as the number of temporary homes she's been in.
"I've moved so many times," she said. "I haven't had a lot of loving families that actually want to keep me."
Vivian lives in the Utah Foster Care system. With each move comes new rules, adjustments and a feeling of unease.
"It's really hard to move," she said. "It's kind of scary too because you don't know what's coming."
Vivian is focused on a goal.
"I want a happy, caring and loving family that wants to keep me," she said. "It would mean a lot. It would mean I'm not going to be alone in the world anymore."
I've moved so many times. I haven't had a lot of loving families that actually want to keep me.
–Vivian
On Wednesday, she was welcomed into a different kind of family as members of the Real Salt Lake soccer team invited her to spend the day with them. They gave her an official game ball with their signatures, a VIP tour of Rio Tinto Stadium and tickets to an upcoming game. Vivian plans to return to the stadium soon to see her first professional soccer game and hopes she'll need more than one ticket.
Anyone who wants to learn more about Vivian or the many other children living in the foster care system and hoping to be adopted can contact The Adoption Exchange.
