BOISE, Idaho — Braxton is an amazing young man who's hoping to find a forever family who loves adventures.
Braxton is 11 years old and in the sixth grade. This bright boy loves to learn and play sports. One of his dreams is to be a football player, preferably a wide receiver. He also loves outdoor activities like camping, hiking, biking and running.
Braxton's love of learning was evident when we tagged along with him on a recent visit to the Discovery Center of Idaho. He told us about his favorite bug, the stag beetle. His favorite subjects in school are math and history. He likes to read, too.
"For me, my favorite type of books would be series," Braxton said. "After I'm done with that series, I move on to that series, and when I'm done, I move on to the next!"
Some of Braxton's favorite series are Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series. He likes reading about Ancient Greece and Rome.
Braxton has been through a lot in just 11 years of life. His permanency team is working to find him an adoptive family that understands the potential effects of childhood trauma.
"An ideal family would be a family with a mom and a dad, just a lot of stability. He really wants siblings," said Morgan Sampson, Braxton's caseworker. "He would do exceptionally well if he was the youngest sibling in the home."
Braxton has one simple, sweet request: "Someone who will always be there for me, and never let me down."
"An ideal family would be really caring and understanding," Sampson said. "And a listening ear -- he loves to talk -- and a family that can listen to his stories and the things he's been through."
More about Braxton: He loves to cook. He's especially proud of his pancake-making skills. He also loves to eat pizza on Friday night.
"I don't know any other way to describe him, other than he's just a bright light," Sampson said.
If you would like to find out more about opening your home to Braxton or another child waiting for a family, go to the Idaho Wednesday's Child website. Read more about Braxton and connect with the Wednesday's Child team here.
Idaho has an urgent need for more people to adopt or foster children in crisis. Watch our recent 7 Investigates story here or in the player below.