Have a Heart: Meet Noah

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Meet Noah. He’s an almost 11-year-old boy who loves to make people smile by telling jokes.

“I think he likes to take, take the heaviness of the world off and make people laugh,” Rachael McGarrah, Noah’s caseworker through Washoe County said. “If he can be part of their laughter I know that brings him great joy.”

More than that, he loves to be outside hiking or playing with his dog.

“I don’t want to just be sitting inside all day and watching TV, because I actually like being active and it’s kind of my thing being active,” he said.

Staying active is easy, especially since his favorite thing to do is play soccer.

“It’s just really fun and athletic and it makes me have all my energy go out.”

“I think it distracts him from all the things that of his past that could weigh him down,” McGarrah said. “It just opens him up to be free and focus on the physical part and what he’s doing with the ball or running rather than all the heavy stuff.”

Noah has been in foster care for about four years, she he has strong memories of his past. Some of them and good, others are bad. But those who know and love Noah best say he is incredibly resilient.

“I think the hope that he has for things to come is really huge for a kid who’s been through so much,” McGarrah said.

That hope is a family of his own. Noah says having a family is important because of his past. He says all he wants is a family that cares about him. It’s a hope that never seems to fade. Despite everything, Noah has a lot of faith. McGarah says he has the belief that the world can be better and people around him can be better and safer.

Noah’s main request is a family that has a dog and a big backyard where he can play soccer.

Noah is available for adoption through the Washoe County Human Services Agency. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Brenda at Bsilis@washoecounty.gov

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