Adoption brightens spirits going into the holidays

A mom and her son in Bozrah are going into the holidays as a new family.

Rebecca Clifford adopted her son Daniel earlier this month as part of the Department of Children and Families’ adoptions initiative in November.

After hardship and loss, it now means so much for the two to be together this holiday season.

“How do you pet the puppy? Good job,” Clifford told Bozrah while playing with toys. “Love kisses are good!”

The tiny two-and-a-half year old is putting a huge grin on his mom’s face. Daniel does a lot to make her smile. She officially adopted him on Nov. 6.

“He's just a joy. He makes me laugh, and he's active, obviously,” Clifford said.

However, Daniel first came to Clifford and her husband Gus when he was just three months old. The couple had already fostered 11 kids before the Department of Children and Families (DCF) placed the baby in their care.

DCF says baby Daniel had critical injuries resulting from physical abuse.

“He had bilateral skull fractures and fractured ribs,” Clifford said.

Clifford and her husband helped him heal with love and dedication, bringing Daniel to many doctors appointments and working with in-home therapists.

“He was on seizure medicine, but he was only on the medication for a short period of time, until they were sure he was not going to have seizures from his injuries,” Clifford said.

Now recuperated from his injuries, the little tyke is on the move, even playing with pups he has befriended at the animal hospital in Norwich where his mom works.

“Good boy, isn't he fluffy?” Clifford said, before Daniel offered the dog a treat.

Yet the family goes into this holiday season dealing with another tragedy, after Rebecca’s husband Gus was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“He fought really hard. He did chemo and radiation,” Clifford said. “But unfortunately, it spread, and he passed away on Thanksgiving Day last year.”

It was right before their seventh wedding anniversary.

Now, as the family heads toward their favorite holiday, Christmas, Clifford is trying to keep Gus’ spirit alive, doing activities they enjoyed together like going to see a holiday lights display.

“He would have enjoyed being here, and to remember all of the fun things that we did,” Clifford said.

She is teaching Daniel about his dad, too, but the toddler shows signs that he still remembers.

“He loves, like, tractors and trucks and stuff like that. And I'm always amazed that he's so drawn to that. That's what my husband did. He drove tractors and trucks, and big equipment,” Clifford said.

This holiday season, a mom finding an angel in her little son.

“Being a single parent wasn't my plan,” Clifford said. “And Daniel is just such a joy to be around, and even when I'm sad he does things to make me laugh.”