'Newborn' 13-Year-Old Photo Becomes Viral Sensation

One loving family's simple way of expressing their kinship became a viral hit this week—all in thanks to a set of photos.

It all started last month when the Higgins family was sitting around at the dinner table with their adopted children Chayna, 12, and son, Latrell, 13. As mom, Kelli, who works as a photographer, mentioned that she was preparing for an upcoming baby photo session her son talked about how he always wanted baby photos of himself. After Chayna playfully asked why not “recreate” a newborn photo shoot just for Latrell—the joked turned into reality.

“I thought it was funny and that it would be a good idea,” Latrell told TODAY.com. His mom found the notion bittersweet.

“I was very sad too because I didn’t have any photos of him either," Kelli said. "I think it’s really hard to have children and not know what they looked like when they were younger.”

“These children, once they get past a certain age, they don’t find homes and they age out of foster care,” Higgins told TODAY.com. “They have to figure out the world on their own and there’s no one to go back to as an adult. Where do you go for Christmas? It’s just horrible, it’s heartbreaking.”

Today.com reports:
The adopting mother Kelli Higgins wrote on her Facebook: "Here's my sweet not so little newborn!" Kelli Higgins wrote on her Facebook page. "His name is Latrell and weighs 112 lbs."

Higgins and her husband adopted Latrell and his sister Chanya two years ago, welcoming the siblings to their home in Crestview, Fla. The family already had five biological children, with a sixth one on the way, but Higgins felt she had more love to give, especially to kids who would have a harder time finding a home because they were older. In the past decade, more older children have become available for adoption, experts say.