Woman Who Was In Foster Care, Without Relatives, Uses Craigslist To Rent A Family — Story Goes Viral

Craigslist has been used to sell many products, to find a job, and even to advertise services. But Natalie Carson of Denver, Colorado, has a new use: to rent a family. She was in the foster care system until she was 18 and aged out. So she has no relatives. Her twentieth birthday is approaching on June 20, and she finally wants to have the happy birthday that she has never had while in foster care, according to Yahoo! Parenting.

According to Carson, she had a painful childhood. And birthdays were her least favorite holiday. She gave an example of a birthday celebrated in foster care when her foster grandmother gave her a doll. Sounds like a happy celebration, right? Not so when she said that her foster dad made her throw it in the trash, and she stated the following according to Yahoo! Parenting.

“I just think, ‘Go rest and it’ll be over in the morning and you won’t have to think about it again until next year’….I usually just try to sleep through my birthday, and holidays too….I just want one day that I can feel important and special, and like I matter even if I really don’t….I have never had a good birthday so I figure why not this birthday.”

After a history with what she notes is overall filled with neglect and abuse, she decided to make the upcoming birthday a happy one to celebrate. She decided to place an advertisement on Craigslist to rent a real family at what she can afford, eight dollars per hour.

She received more than she even had hoped for — getting support and inquiries from across the globe. She stated that she is looking forward to a truly happy birthday for the first time, according to the Examiner.

“I’m sure people wonder if I’m a real person or if I’m crazy. And by the same token, I wondered who would respond….I think I’ve gotten more than 1,000 emails.”

Her quest has gone viral in the media. Carson is happy with the thoughtful comments and contacts she’s made through her ad. Some people have even offered to fly her to their hometown to celebrate her birthday. Others have offered her cars, money, and even a big bash for her birthday, and she is grateful for the kind offers. She’s just looking forward to a low-key, small gathering with balloons and her new-found family. She also wants to find a way to help others in foster care who lack a family or mentors. Carson stated the following, according to Yahoo! Parenting.

“I just want a normal birthday, nothing extravagant. [She doesn’t even like] fancy dinners. That’s not my personality. I just want something low-key. They make me feel good — and seeing everyone wanting to help me has made me more motivated to do more to help other people….I’m not sure yet exactly how, but I want to figure out a way to try and help other kids aging out of foster care who don’t have any people to support them or mentors.”

Whereas Carson had horrible birthdays in her past, some people have parents that have taken birthdays to another level, not necessarily for the best. An Inquisitr article reported about some parents who sent a very demanding invitation to their son’s one-year birthday. In the invite, the parents demanded a $63.99 water table from WalMart, a $19.99 play tent, a $14.99 play tunnel from IKEA, and a $7.99 Cheerios book.

[Photo By John Moore/Getty Images]