Boy too ill for family’s care gets adopted by his teachers

WATERBURY — Three years ago, a Walsh Elementary School teacher visited one of her first-grade students in the hospital.

At Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Jenna Riccio discovered the state Department of Children and Families had removed her student, Nathanael, from his home because they were worried he would not receive the medical follow-ups he needed. He was slated to move to a foster home an hour away, Riccio remembers.

Despite being in the hospital, Nathanael, also known as Nate, was in great spirits, and without hesitation, Riccio asked what she needed to do to have him live with her. She talked with her then-boyfriend and Nate’s art teacher, Timothy Riccio, and the two underwent background checks, home visits and other measures to ensure the home was safe for him. Once he was discharged from the hospital in October 2019, he went home to Jenna Riccio and her dachshund, Frances.

“It was the best day ever,” Jenna Riccio said.

Nate, who is now 10, has lived with her ever since. Timothy Riccio later moved in and the two teachers learned to be parents together. Nate eventually served as the ring bearer in their wedding and became an older brother in February when the couple had their daughter, Julien.

Though Nate has been part of their family for a while, it became official in Waterbury Juvenile Court on Friday morning.

“He’s been our son — now it’s in the law,” Riccio said.

Nate was among 50 children adopted Friday to celebrate National Adoption Day, which is officially Nov. 19. After Friday, the Department of Children and Families said it will have completed more than 440 adoptions this year. The agency also has reunified more than 390 children and had almost 300 children achieve permanency through a transfer of guardianship, DCF said in a news release.

On Friday morning, dozens of people crowded into the courtroom to watch the special occasion. Family and friends sat among colorful balloons and shiny silver ones that spelled out “Happy Adoption Day.” Superior Court Judge Tara Knight acknowledged that her courtroom has often been filled with sadness, but Friday was not one of them.

“After today, he will be your son,” Knight said. He is also now officially Nathanael Innocent Riccio.

Nate hasn’t had an easy journey.

He has been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia and other conditions that require ongoing follow-up appointments with several specialists and various medications. He had both of his legs amputated below his knee, is a partial left arm amputee and had two and a half of his right fingers amputated.

Under the Riccios’ care, Nate attended more than 120 medical appointments. The couple was at his side during several surgeries and hospitalizations, some of which they weren’t sure he’d survive, Vidal noted.

On Friday, Nate walked in with prosthetic legs and a brand-new suit.

“You never complained, you never asked for help,” Vidal said, adding that she believes she is a better person today because of him.

The family was all smiles Friday after receiving the official document. But, as Tim Riccio noted, Nate already was family. The document just made it extra special.

“This day was amazing,” Nate told the crowd, which was filled with extended family, friends and even his biological older brother, 21-year-old Giovhany Mondestin.

“He’s been looking for happiness,” Mondestin said about his younger brother and noted that Nate found it in the Riccios. “He’s very special.”

He admitted it was at first tough to see his brother in a different home. There was an emptiness and silence in Nate’s absence. His mother did her best, he said, but once he saw the Riccios treated Nate like their own, Mondestin knew this other path was the right one.

Nate is now the healthiest he has ever been, according to Jenna Riccio. He will still require multiple surgeries as he gets older and potentially a liver transplant.

As a fifth-grader, Nate has engrossed himself in multiple extracurricular activities, including chorus, bucket band and student council. He wants to be an actor when he gets older, and to achieve this dream, he takes acting classes and played a zombie in his first play over Halloween weekend.