The Ultimate Finish Line

A North Haven High track star who was abandoned by her mom is breaking school records. But after living in 10 different places over 5 years, her ultimate pursuit is to find a family to adopt her. “When I’m on the track I feel powerful. Leaving all the trouble behind you basically. I wait for the right moment but as soon as the gun goes off all that just goes away and I just go all out and I just go all out and I just go and I block everything out except for the noises,” Erica said. Erica was sent to Hartford from Jamaica when she was only ten years old for a “better life”, Erica’s mother told her. But, Erica’s social worker believes she was abandoned. A judge terminated parental rights because Erica was at risk of further neglect if she went back to live with her mom. Since then, the girl has stayed in foster care. Over the last five years, Erica has lived in and out of ten different places and she desperately wants to be adopted into a permanent “family”.