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SALT LAKE CITY — It's been called "America's favorite pastime."
It's a game measured in strikes, outs and hits. For 16-year-old Hunter, baseball is a beautiful game.
"I really like baseball," Hunter said.
On Wednesday he was invited to watch the Salt Lake Bee's practice. Even a rainy day at Smith's Ballpark couldn't diminish his smile. That's saying a lot, considering all he's been through. Hunter used to live with his biological mother and his sister.
"We cried together, ate together, laughed together," Hunter said. "We did everything together."
He says life changed dramatically when it was determined his mother could no longer care for him and his sister; something he says he didn't understand at first.
"I was really, really sad, but I was more concerned about my little sister than anything," he said. "She was only 5 at the time."
That was eight years ago.
"What could I have done differently?" he wondered.
A lot can happen in eight years, including adoption.
"When they told me she was getting adopted I think I cried," he said. "I was more happy than anything because she finally found someone that she can be around."
Hunter is still in foster care and time is running out. Soon he'll age out of the system.
"I have a lot of things I want to do with my life," he said. He wants to do them with a family.
"Family is a huge part of life," he said. "They're going to be there when not everyone else is."
The high school student has managed to hold down a part-time job, make good grades and even has a girlfriend. Now, he's just waiting
"I feel like it's about time," he said.
Like in baseball, not every trip to the plate will result in a hit, not every fly ball is caught. Hunter just hopes to make it home soon.
To learn more about Hunter or the many other children living in the Utah Foster Care system, contact The Adoption Exchange.
