When we think of abandoned children, we usually imagine a newborn being left on a doorstep. However, Tony Mutabazi was 11 when his adoptive parents left him at a hospital and never returned. Soon after, he entered the foster care system in North Carolina unsure of where he would end up. Now, two years later, Tony has been lucky enough to meet a man, Peter Mutabazi, who has chosen to love him unconditionally and give him a home.

Tony, who was first placed in foster care when he was two, was adopted when he was four. Seven years later, his adoptive parents abandoned him. Alone at the hospital, "He asked if his parents were coming to get him and they said no," Peter said. "[We have] no idea why."

On January 16, 2018, Peter received a call asking if he would take the young boy in for the weekend. Having been a foster parent for three years, Peter was more than happy to help out. That weekend, he learned the boy’s story, which in many ways paralleled his own. Peter, who grew up in Uganda, ran away at the age of ten from an abusive home. Luckily, he found someone to take care of him.

"They became my sponsor, my family. I grew up the poor of the poorest people on the planet," Peter said. "I grew up where no one told me to dream, that there was no future for me."

Eventually, Peter moved to the United States and became a citizen. He now works for World Vision, a nonprofit organization that helps children in vulnerable areas. He has also fostered roughly a dozen children, offering them support when they needed it most. When he met Tony though, he knew he wanted to be more than just a foster dad.

"I had the room, the resources, so I had no reason to let him go. For what someone did for me I wanted to do something for someone else," Peter said.

Tony was officially adopted in a Charlotte courthouse. He was accompanied by Peter's family and friends as well as his foster care worker, Jessica Ward, who helped facilitate his adoption. Ward says that she knew Tony and Peter were a perfect fit given their shared stories.

"[Tony] had some issues that he was dealing with from foster care and trauma when he was abandoned, so Peter [knew] once he took him in, that was it. Peter's story all around is beautiful and amazing. Because of the age Peter was when all of the things happened in his world, I feel like that's been such a connection for him and Tony," Ward said.

Now, father and son, who enjoy watching movies, playing board games, reading books, and cycling, are planning on welcoming a new brother or sister into the family. Peter often shares how much he has learned from Tony and how grateful he is to have him in his life.

RELATED: Boy In Foster Care For 4 Years Celebrates With Surprise Guests At His Adoption Ceremony

World Vision International, founded in 1950 by Robert Pierce as a service organization to meet the emergency needs of missionaries, is currently active in nearly 100 countries. The organization offers a child sponsorship program to help children, families and communities access clean drinking water, sanitation, education, work skills, nutrition and health care.

Source: Upworthy