By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-04-03 21:37:24 | Updated at 2025-04-04 17:17:16
21 hours ago
A 14-year-old Texas teenager who is in foster care shared his heartbreaking life story in hopes of finally being adopted by a forever family.
Enoch, 14, said he dreams of someday having a family of his own, and shared how he overcame his troubled childhood by finding his passion for cooking.
'In my past, I grew up with not having that much food,' he told KVUE as he appeared in the outlet's weekly segment highlighting a child in the foster care system in Texas.
A freshman in high school, Enoch said he learned to cook at a young age and has used it as an outlet to get him through life's curveballs ever since.
'Coming back up, I remember my past,' he said.
'So, you know, I just love food. I have a good passion for it, clearly, as you see.'
Enoch said he has never truly had a family, but has not given up hope of someday being adopted.
'I've never really had a family. I don't know my regular parents, I don't know my biological, I don't even know half my family,' he said.
Texas teenager Enoch, 14, shared his heartbreaking life story this week in hopes of finally finding his forever family of his own, as he said he 'never really had a family'
Enoch said the only family members he has ever been aware of were his sisters, but he had not seen them in years because they all sat in the foster care system throughout their childhoods.
'I have two little sisters, [but] the last time I saw them, I was 7. And it was on their birthday, and I never saw them again,' he said.
Without loved ones to look out for him, Enoch said cooking for other people became a way for him to find a purpose.
As he showed the camera crews around the kitchen, Enoch fried shrimp and made an elote salad with Texas chef Dylan McShan.
'You know what they say, 'If you aren't sneezing, you aren't seasoning,' the 14-year-old added.
McShan said he hoped Enoch continued his passion for cooking, saying 'if he sticks with it, I really think he can get somewhere with it.
'I really do think cooking can take you wherever you want to go,' he said. 'Cooking is all about instincts, and Enoch has them.'
Enoch cooked with Texas chef Dylan McShan as he shared his life story, saying he was attracted to cooking because 'in my past, I grew up with not having that much food'
Enoch showed his passion for cooking alongside McShan, and the chef said after: 'Cooking is all about instincts, and Enoch has them'
Those looking to adopt Enoch or wanting to learn more about it can visit the Heart Gallery of Central Texas, where the teen is described on his profile as also being a 'big Green Bay Packers Fan.'
'He’d love to try karate, weightlifting, and hiking outdoors. Enoch is very active and loves sports,' his profile reads.
'All that energy is sustained by his favorite foods- all things seafood, and Mexican food.'
