AUSTIN, Texas — A'Aliyah – who sometimes goes by her middle name, Denise – is 12 years old and has been in the Texas foster care system for a few years. She is currently in the sixth grade and said she likes going to school.
"I like to see my teachers," she said.
She has been longing for a chance to be pampered, so KVUE's Hannah Rucker met up with her at Embellish Nail Salon on West Anderson Lane.
Lucky for her, she was seated in Gail Anyanwu's beauty chair, where Anyanwu was able to show her some love and attention while covering her nails in festive sparkles.
It's easy to tell that this sweet preteen likes fashion. She said she finds inspiration from Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter.
"I want to be like Beyoncé someday," she said. "I like her hair."
As the holidays approach, she said she can't help but think about finding a forever family. She said her younger brother was recently adopted and her sister currently lives somewhere else, so she doesn't get to see her. She teared up talking about how she recently wasn't able to see her sister on her birthday.
Although she won't be adopted with her siblings, she said she really wants to keep a relationship with them.
"She misses me, and I miss her," she said.
To learn more about A'Aliyah or to put in an inquiry to adopt her, visit her page on the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.
Editor's note: The children who are in the Heart Gallery program and featured in KVUE's Forever Families segments are children who have had every effort made on their behalf to connect them with family or others in their community to provide options for permanent, adoptive homes. Through no fault of their own, that hasn’t happened yet, and so in partnership with the Department of Family and Protective Services, we collaborate to bring awareness to KVUE viewers about these children in the hopes of finding them permanency before they age out.