Southern suburbs great-grandmother Maria welcomed Corey into her home in 2008 when he was just four months old.
"My marriage broke down when I was 54 and I sat down and thought 'what am I going to do with my life'. I decided to give being a foster carer a go," Maria said.
After completing the required training, Maria received the life-changing call that baby Corey needed a loving home.
"For the first few weeks he screamed non-stop, but then all of a sudden, he just got comfortable, he found his place," she said.
What started as a temporary stay turned into a lifelong journey for Corey. He's been with Maria, who is supported by foster care agency AnglicareSA, ever since that first phone call and celebrated his 18th birthday in May.
"Corey has a rare chromosomal disorder which has resulted in some complex medical issues. There's been many hospital stays and operations over the years," Maria said.
"But he is such a trooper. Even with everything he's been through, he's just such a chatty, happy, lovely kid."
Maria's unwavering dedication to supporting Corey and changing the trajectory of his life has been recognised at this year's SA Child Protection & Family Support Awards.
She has been named a finalist in the Foster Carer of the Year category of the awards, with winners to be an
nounced at a special ceremony at Adelaide Oval on 9 October.
This week (13 – 19 September) is also Foster and Kinship Carer Week, which celebrates the incredible impact family-based carers have in children's lives.
As well as supporting Corey through his health challenges, which included a 13-month hospital stay when he was aged 8, Maria has also encouraged him in his sporting pursuits.
While in primary school, Corey was introduced to speed stacking – a fast-paced sport that involves 'upstacking' and 'downstacking' specialised plastic cups into specific pyramid formations.
When he started to lose interest, Maria bought herself a set of cups and began teaching herself to help Corey re-engage with the sport.
It worked – and had the unexpected benefit of Maria also becoming a participant. The pair have since gone on to represent the Australian Lightning national team and now train daily.
Corey has competed in world championships in the US and Singapore and will take part in the regional Asian Sport Stacking Championships in Thailand in November.
For Maria, now 72, being an award finalist was completely unexpected.
"Usually, when there is a finalist for these sorts of things, it seems to be someone who has supported 10, 20 or even more children … to have helped just the one has been an absolute privilege," she said.
"I think every foster carer deserves an award."
For a full list of 2026 SA Child Protection & Family Support Awards finalists, visit www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/awards (external site) .
For more information about becoming a carer, visit www.fostercare.sa.gov.au (external site) .
