For 4-year-old Jeremiah Dickerson, his “Gotcha Day” came with a new last name and an even more exciting title. In a few short months, Jeremiah will be promoted to “Big Brother.”
PEOPLE shared the adorable photo that captured hearts everywhere. The July 9th picture of Jeremiah with parents Jordan and Cole on the day of his adoption finalization has a surprise in the foreground. A beaming Jeremiah holding a sonogram and a sign that reads, “Today I became a Dickerson. Up Next…Big Brother.”
Jeremiah was admitted to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis about a year prior to this photo, suffering from a chronic lung disease and other health issues. Jordan Dickerson was a nurse in the same hospital where she quickly fell in love with Jeremiah.
Jordan often went home talking about Jeremiah to her husband Cole. Cole summarized the events that happened next stating, “Jordan started to fall in love with him. She told me about this little boy that smiled all the time and danced and was so much fun and they just connected. We were both on the same page, like, ‘Let’s do this! This little boy is up here, you’re falling in love with him, and I want to meet him.’ So I met him and I fell in love with him too.”
The Dickersons became Jeremiah’s foster parents and were able to adopt him only a year later. Jeremiah, whom they describe as an energetic and happy child, actually foretold the pregnancy through one bedtime prayer that left his parents stunned.
Cole told PEOPLE, “Jeremiah one night was praying and was like, ‘Thank you, God, for my mommy and my daddy. Thank you for my baby sister in a couple of weeks,’ We were like, ‘What did he just say?’ Three or four weeks later, Jordan surprised me one night and said, ‘I just took a pregnancy test, and it’s positive.’”
Cole also shared that Jeremiah said, “I knew it!” when told of the pregnancy, promising to teach his new sibling about basketball, baseball, and all the other things important to any 4-year-old. Jeremiah’s smile is an indication of his excitement in his new role and his love for his family. Congrats to the Dickersons on Jeremiah’s adoption and the continued growth of the family!
For more information about how to adopt a child, take some time to read our guide to adopting a child.
