By Heidi Ramirez
“Absolutely nothing is impossible. You can be in the worst situation in life, but that's not the end.”
Michael Robinson still remembers the summer his life changed forever.
“I felt like I was in a movie,” he said.
At 14 years old, Michael left Colombia with his younger sister, Mariana, and traveled to the United States through Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program. He said the experience felt surreal as they moved in with Ruth, their host for the summer, in Northern Virginia. Although the kids didn’t speak English, they were excited by this new adventure and embraced the opportunity for a different life, far from the orphanages of Colombia.
Michael and Mariana spent the summer experiencing life in the U.S., meeting new people, and building connections. Two people they met were couple Tatiana and Lamont Robinson. There was an instant connection, and the more time the four spent together, the more right it felt. After the hosting period came to an end and Michael and Mariana returned to Colombia, Tatiana and Lamont knew they wanted to move forward with adoption. The process would take close to a year, but suddenly, just three months in, Tatiana found out she was pregnant! Friends and family asked if they were going to continue with the adoption process, and their answer was a resounding yes. “The kids were already ours. We were already in the process, and we loved them,” Tatiana recalls.
With just one month left before the baby’s arrival, Tatiana and Lamont traveled to Colombia to finalize the adoption and bring Michael and Mariana home. The transition wasn’t always easy, especially with a newborn and two older children adjusting to life in a new country, but it was a journey they embraced together.
Like any family, they faced their share of challenges. After two years of living together, the couple decided to move to Florida to be closer to their extended family. Michael, however, felt a pull to return to Virginia, where he finished high school while staying with friends and fellow Summer Miracles alumni, Santiago and James.
Years later, when Michael turned 18, he traveled back to Colombia to visit his biological family. The visit was an emotional experience for him as it gave him a glimpse into the life he could have lived had he not been adopted. He witnessed a community impacted by drug use and gang violence, something he is glad to have avoided. “Being adopted changed my life a hundred percent,” says Michael.
In his adoptive family, Michael was introduced to a legacy of service. His adoptive grandfather served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, a dedication he greatly admired. After graduating high school, Michael decided to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and join the Marines. After completing boot camp, Tatiana and Lamont found that Michael had grown a lot. Where before he was reluctant to spend time with the family, now he was asking to visit whenever he could.
“The Marines shaped his personality in an amazing way,” said Tatiana.
Looking back on how far he has come, Michael offered words of advice for kids facing similar struggles that he went through. “Absolutely nothing is impossible,” he said. “You can be in the worst situation in life, you can be living in the very worst moment but that's not the end. Everything can change from one moment to another as long as you're willing to change it. And don’t be afraid to ask for help or ask somebody for advice because there’s good people everywhere.”
Younger sister Mariana has also seen the change in Michael and has set her sights on joining the Army after her high school graduation. While their path wasn’t always an easy one, the Robinsons are proof that a forever family is about showing up, staying committed, and choosing each other every day.
Summer Miracles
You can change a life as a Summer Miracles host family! The application deadline for Summer 2025 is April 15. Book a call with our team today to learn more and get started today.
