Tony Mutabazi didn't have the easiest childhood. After being adopted at age 4, his adoptive parents abandoned him in a Charlotte, NC hospital at the age of 11.
A few days later, Peter Mutabazi, a foster parent, was called by the foster system to take in the young man for the weekend. After hearing Tony's story, however, Peter knew that this wasn't going to be an ordinary foster situation.
"Once I knew the parents' rights were signed off and he had nowhere to go, I [knew] I had to take him... I had the room, the resources, so I had no reason to let him go," Peter said in an interview.
In November of 2019, Peter made it official with Tony and adopted him. The unusual pair make the perfect team. They enjoy board games, movies, reading, and cycling together.
"He's the nicest, smartest kid I’ve ever had," Peter said.
The pair's story went viral this year, and their Instagram account has accumulated over 72,000 followers.
Peter's experience in fostercare stemmed from his own life experience. He grew up in Uganda and ran away from an abusive home situation at age 10.
A parental figure in the area took Peter under his wing in Uganda and made sure he finished school. Now, he sees his adoption of Tony as a way of paying it forward, to honor the person who saved him.