College is filled with new life experiences. Whether it’s going to your first co-ed party, making a totally new group of friends, or just living on your own for the first time, the four years spent at a university truly shape who you become.
Big things happened for Tommy while he was in college, too—but none like you’ve ever heard before…
The College Kid
Tommy Connolly was your typical jock. He was a very athletic young man who was enjoying everything that his college years had to offer. With his own life beginning and new hobbies, friends, and classes in the mix, he was always on the go. One afternoon, though, he got a Facebook message that flipped his life upside-down…
Down Under
Tommy grew up in Queensland, Australia, immersing himself in nature and wildlife experiences. He was a young man with a good heart whose friends and family knew would do big things with his life. Little did he know, though, his good heart would soon be put to the ultimate test…
A Bright Future
Tommy was attending college at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He majored in business and economics and was a member of the school’s track and field team. It seemed like there was nothing this young man couldn’t do…
Dedication
Tommy was a dedicated guy. No matter what he took on, he did it wholeheartedly. When it came to sports and education, he carefully balanced the workload that both required of him. With so many hours of practice and schoolwork, life was a bit hectic, however, soon things would get even busier…
More Responsibility
Tommy had been making a name for himself on the track. He was just as devoted at practice as he was during a track meet, and this was something that coaches truly valued in athletes as well as people, in general. He held himself to a high standard until things came to a screeching halt…
A New Task
While Tommy was busy juggling school, work, and sports, the universe was about to deliver him yet another responsibility. Luckily, this was an unexpectedly good thing…
The Traveler
Tommy was an avid traveler and had spent a lot of time abroad. This helped him gain a lot of life experience at a young age. Through his travels, he met someone that changed his life for the better…
His Girl
During a trip to the United States, Tommy met a girl. This girl quickly took a piece of his heart and soon they were a couple. Regardless of the distance, she was extremely supportive of all his endeavors, and this would come in handy when his life quickly took a turn…
It Just Works
When Olivia Tauro met Tommy, she was intrigued. She knew they had very similar interests and morals and they were both very athletic and very involved within their school communities. It felt like she had met her match…
Hot Commodity
Before they had officially decided to be a couple, they had been friends for over eight years. They were the “it” couple for a while, and soon, there was even more to talk about with this young couple…
Their Anniversary
Tommy took to Facebook to share he and Olivia’s anniversary saying, “Only a one year anniversary today since ‘officially’ dating this girl but we’ve been best mates for the best part of 8 years.” There was nothing they couldn’t tackle together, or so they thought…
Best Friends
Olivia was his partner in crime and someone he really leaned into for support when things got tough. What Tommy didn’t realize, however, was that he was about to need her now more than ever…
A Good Guy
Tommy’s friends, family, and acquaintances could vouch for what a good guy Tommy was, so it was no surprise to anyone when he lent a helping hand to a virtual stranger he would soon realize was closer to him than he knew…
No Surprise
Tommy surrounded himself with the best of the best, and always looked out for the people in his life. When a lost soul reached out to him, he knew he had to help…
Family Ties
Family life was very important to him. His family wasn’t perfect by any means, but he knew that family was the one irreplaceable thing in life and he cherished them. He would show up for them in any way he could, no matter what…
Severed Ties
Growing up, he had one younger cousin, Kiarna, that he loved dearly but he had lost touch with her in recent years. He knew she had it rough, but he didn’t know how to contact her, and admittedly, he was a little worried about her…
No Trace
Tommy thought about Kiarna often, wondering what became of her life. She was on her own at a very young age and life was very difficult, but when he asked family members about her, nobody knew where she was…
A Troubled Child
Kiarna had lost touch with just about everyone in their family. When she got into trouble with her parents, the final ties were cut, and she was missing…
A Tough Life
Kiarna’s Facebook hadn’t been updated since 2011. Tommy feared the worst and began to dig around a bit to see if he could track her down. This was no easy feat…
Learning the Details
Tommy couldn’t find an address, phone number, or any current social media pages to contact Kiarna. But finally, after loads of searching, he finally caught a break that revealed the awful truth…
Many Hardships
Kiarna had a harder story than anyone knew. She was nearly illiterate, and worst of all, she didn’t have a home. Most of the time, she slept on the streets. “She’s spent more time on the streets than anywhere else, and knows the police better than she knows her own family,†Tommy said. Kiarna also had a big secret, one that would change her and Tommy’s lives forever…
Always Alone
Because of their difficult past, Kiarna and her parents no longer had a relationship. She really relied on her boyfriend to get through life. Unfortunately, she soon lost him, too, as he was arrested and jailed…
Substance Abuse
“Not many people know her story. It’s very intense. Nobody deserves the life she’s had,” Tommy said. Because of the tremendous difficulties and loneliness she faced, she developed a drug problem that ended up making things worse. She had one last resort, and so she put herself out there and reached out to Tommy on Facebook…
Stepping In
Tommy was just the person to help. “Life dealt Kiarna a poor hand, and she’s had to play it best she could,” he said. He planned to invite Kiarna to live with him in order to get her life back on track…
Making Moves
Tommy ended up going above and beyond for his little cousin. Kiarna was only 17 at the time, so he took the massive step to become her legal guardian. He didn’t think twice about it and immediately went to get the adoption papers settled…
Father Figure
Tommy welcomed Kiarna into his home with open arms. He did everything he could to make sure she was happy and healthy. He even surprised her with a kitten to have as a companion. But what he didn’t know, was that Kiarna was keeping a big secret from him…
Expecting
Kiarna was not only homeless and alone, but she was also pregnant, and the baby’s father was in prison. Tommy was shocked when he found this out, and he was truly unsure what to do next. What he did know, though, was that he had to help…
Baby on the Way
In a situation where most people would be angry, Tommy continued to show Kiarna love. Now it was time to prepare for a newborn, and he had no idea what to do. At 23, this was something he hadn’t considered yet, but he was going to try his best…
A Week Later
Shockingly, Kiarna was very far along, and so she and Tommy only had a few days to prepare. In fact, only a week after her adoption Kiarna gave birth to a healthy baby boy…
A Mother’s Wish
“All I wanted was to give this little man a better life than I had – a second chance was all I wanted,” Kiarna said. “Since carrying this gorgeous boy, all of my friends kept telling me that he would be taken away from me.” The thought of being separated from her baby was something that weighed heavily on Kiarna’s mind, so much so that it was the deciding factor when it came to reaching out to Tommy…
In a week’s time, Tommy and Kiarna’s lives were changed dramatically. For Tommy, it was near-impossible to focus on track and schoolwork. While Kiarna had finally found safety and a steady home for her and her son, things with Tommy got a little complicated…
A New Place
The apartment Tommy occupied as a single college student just didn’t work for the three of them—he had to relocate. They found a new place and began their lives together as the most interesting and unique family around. He went to every doctor’s appointment and made sure Kiarna and the baby had everything they needed. He was, for lack of a better term, a grandfather…
Looking Up
“Glad to finally say she’s now living in a safe, stable, awesome house … with a brand new bed, and brand new life,” he said. Now that she had a support system, Kiarna was also able to focus on making big life changes for the better. This was all Tommy had hoped for his cousin…
A Great Mom
While Tommy took on a fatherly role in his grandson’s life, Kiarna was instinctually a great mom. “My cousin does 90 percent of the work– and if it’s one or two years of my life I have to put on hold to make sure two lives are going to be saved, it’s nothing at all,” he said…
Olivia’s Support
Most people would find this scenario quite bizarre, but Olivia really stepped in and supported Tommy’s decision. In fact, she said his selflessness really made her love him even more…
Inspiring
She always knew how much of an amazing person her boyfriend was, but this went above and beyond. She was happy to have young Kayden in her life, as well. She couldn’t believe how much of a positive impact they all had on each other…
Tommy’s Big Heart
Regardless, Tommy had underlying guilt that he didn’t quite understand. This opened his eyes to the larger problem—he might have helped Kiarna, but what about the other homeless teens on the streets…
Stepping In
“We’ve had all these messages which have made us realize there are so many other people in this situation, I don’t want people to think it’s a unique thing,” he said. For Tommy, there was a much larger issue that needed addressing…
The Support of Family
“There’s still a long way to go, but things are on track and she has the opportunity she deserves,” Tommy shared on social media. “When bad things happen, it’s your family that supports you… It means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”
Step Up
By sharing this story, Connolly wants people to be kinder to each other and help others in their time of need. He wants to give people the courage to step up when they can and not be afraid to take on things that seem overwhelming. Lending a helping hand could be the one thing that someone truly needs.