Sister puts up a strong fight to rescue baby brother from foster care — now, they travel together

In a heartwarming incident depicting sibling love, a sister, Chelsea Reeves (@keepingupwithchelsx), has successfully fought to bring her 5-month-old brother out of foster care, vowing to give him a future far different from her difficult past. This new chapter for both siblings is filled with hope and determination. At just 21 years old, Reeves took the huge responsibility to rescue her little brother, Hugo, from the UK foster care system. Using criminal injury compensation, she hired lawyers and fought tirelessly to gain legal guardianship.

Having endured years of abuse, Reeves wanted to protect Hugo. While memories from her early years are blurred, she vividly recalls the abuse beginning in 2011, after she was placed in foster care under Gary Teague’s care, as reported by People Magazine. Reeves recalled the abuse and shared that she was eventually sent back to live with her mother. However, she said, “I ran away to my nan’s because I didn't want to live with my mum…it wasn't safe.” When she finally found the courage to speak out about the abuse she faced in foster care, people didn't support her.

In 2016, Reeves received a phone call, speaking of which, she said, "We got a phone call...to basically say that they've reopened my case, because there've been 12 other children that have come forward over the years and said that similar things have happened to them.” Her case was taken up by the family court, and though she won the case, the process was exhausting. Reeves said she started having behavioral issues and grew very anxious. After the case moved to criminal court, the abuser was sent to a 22-and-a-half-year prison term, but Reeves never felt that justice had been served.

At the age of 18, she started a criminal investigation, and by October 2022, social services finally admitted to the abuse, which prompted Reeves to accept their settlement offer in August 2023. Therefore, after facing so much at such a young age, Reeves was focused on getting her brother out. She recalled, “The process of getting him…out of foster care was so, so hard. They made me move so I could get an extra room for him. They made me pay for training for my dog, because they tried to say that my dog was really naughty, when actually he isn’t…they thought, because I've been abused as a child, I would go and do it to Hugo.”

She got Hugo’s legal guardianship in her third attempt, and since then, she has traveled to a lot of places with him. Reeves found it strange when her brother called her "mom." She said, “This is all I've ever wanted, like, I want him to be with me. And that was from day one, like the moment that I saw him, I didn't feel like he wasn't my child, which is really weird. I didn't feel like he was my brother.” She further assured, “I'm gonna make sure...you're never going to live the life I had. You're going to have all of the love and happiness, and nothing bad's going to happen to you.”