Wednesday's Child "saved my life" and helped a boy grow into a father and business owner

CBS News

29-01-2025

WEST BRIDGEWATER - Josh Lawrence was an 11-year-old boy who just wanted a forever family back in 1994. Thanks to Wednesday's Child and WBZ-TV's Jack Williams, Josh is now the proud father of two boys and has his own business in Massachusetts.
Josh had already lived with 13 foster families and was in a group home when Williams introduced him to his forever family 31 years ago.
Wednesday's Child 1994
When the story aired on February 2, 1994, Williams asked Josh to describe himself. He simply said, "Joshua is a boy that comes from a family that just couldn't take care of him."
Looking back and watching the story now, you can see the hope and determination in his young eyes. At the Walker Home in Needham, where he was well cared for, Williams played chess with Josh and nearly lost to the 11-year-old boy that day.
Even though he'd already been through so much turmoil in his eleven years, Josh said he still held out hope for an adoptive family.
"I just hope I can get a good family," he said at the time. "It would be nice. I haven't seen one around for a while."
Wednesday's Child adoption
That broadcast of Wednesday's Child on WBZ reached the family who would go on to adopt Josh Lawrence.
"I remember Jack taking the time off-camera to let me know that there's no pressure. Everything's going to be great. Just be yourself. He told me at the end of it, he shook my hand, he told me that I was a great young man and I believed him when he said it," Lawrence said.
"Wednesday's Child most certainly, at the time, it felt like, saved my life. It took me from a place where, albeit was good, but wasn't the way a kid wants to grow up."
Wednesday's Child today
Josh is now the proud dad of two young sons. After almost a decade as an iron worker, he opened his own business - Tri-Towne Barbers in West Bridgewater two years ago, and the community there has truly embraced him.
"To have someone like Jack who came in and ultimately found me a family, is something I will never forget. Ever," he told WBZ.
In October, Josh's girlfriend contacted the station to get a copy of the story from 1994 to play at his birthday party in November.
"I just thought it would be a fun little extra surprise for him. Because he hadn't seen it in twenty, thirty years since he was a kid," his girlfriend Aislin said.
"It was definitely an emotional moment. My kids saw it too. They were like, that's dad!," Josh said.
Lawrence is grateful for the opportunity he was given to begin again. He still loves chess and he gives back by teaching it to third through fifth graders at the Hingham library.
"I've always loved barber shops, and I love cutting hair. But more than that, back to what we were talking about earlier, being part of the community," he said.
Jack Williams Wednesday's Child reunion
Before we left his shop, we had a surprise for Josh Lawrence - a FaceTime with Jack Williams, who is now retired.
"Jack - how are you? You're not still upset about the chess game, are you?" Lawrence asked, as they laughed and talked as if no time had passed at all.
"You can call me anytime you want," Williams said.
"He's amazing. He's built a great life and a great business here and he's just, I'm very proud of him," Josh's girlfriend Aislin told WBZ.
Josh Lawrence has a message for anyone who's considering adoption.
"You just need to open your door and give a kid a chance," he said. "That's what they did for me and, because they changed my life, I'm now able to change the lives of other people and so on and so forth. So, they've changed not only my life, but now another generation of kids who have a stable, well-adjusted father."
And a forever family.
For more information on adoption you can contact MARE: 617-964-MARE (6273) or visit www.mareinc.org.
Since its inception in 1981, Wednesday's Child has been a collaboration of the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), the Department of Children & Families and WBZ-TV/CBS Boston. Hosted by Jack Williams for 34 years, this weekly series has given a face and voice to the children who wait the longest for families. Wednesday's Child has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children and continues to raise awareness about adoption from foster care.