Single man wanting to be a father adopts a sick child then turns him into an Olympic champion
What constitutes a family? We used to believe that a nuclear family consists of a father, a mother, and their children bonded biologically. They live under one roof and provide for each other’s needs.
However, our definition of family has changed over the years. We have seen a mix of family arrangements in recent years: families of mixed races, same-gendered parents, and adopted kids.
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The story of Jerry and Jordan Windle became a sensation not only because it defied the old definition of what a family is, but it was also proof that any bond between people can be considered a family when it is anchored in love.
That little boy name Pisey
Jordan Windle was only an infant when his parents dropped him off in front of an orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His parents were ill and couldn’t afford to raise a child, so they decided to give him up.
He, himself, was sick with scabies and intestinal parasites. He was malnourished and had severe infections. The orphanage named him ‘Pisey,’ which translates to little darling. They cared for him, hoping someone would adopt this charming young boy.
Finding a family
It wasn’t only Jordan who was looking for a family. Ten thousand miles away, retired Navy Lieutenant Jerry Windle. He transitioned to becoming a health care worker. He was on one of his routine doctor’s check-ups when he picked up this magazine in the clinic.
In those magazine pages, he found this article about a kid in Cambodia who was up for adoption. It took five months until the shelter called him and said they had found the perfect boy for him to adopt, and that boy was Jordan.
As a single gay man, it was difficult for Jerry to start a family of his own. But with Jordan, he felt like they connected instantly and that they were meant to become family. He adopted and brought him to America, and the rest was history.
The making of an Olympian
They went back home to Fort Lauderdale, Texas and started their life together. Jordan was only seven when they saw banners of an aquatics fun camp. Jerry signed Jordan up, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
One day, as he dropped Jordan off at camp, a man approached him and told him to get his son into diving, explaining further how his physiology and form were meant for the sport. Since then, everything has fallen into place.
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Jordan was only nine when he won his first national championship and was twelve and the youngest to qualify for the US Olympic trials. Fast forward to 2021, Jordan indeed made it to the Tokyo Olympics.
The ups and downs
Despite being a champion diver, Jordan faced many challenges, especially when kids in school asked him about his identity. They often question how come Jerry was his father when they looked different. Plus, they question how his father could have him as a son when he had no wife.
His childhood was full of those questions, and he didn’t know how to respond because he didn’t know the answer himself. It was in one of their bedtime stories when it all made sense to Jordan.
Watch the video below to learn how his beautiful story inspired a storybook and made him an ambassador against bullying.
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