OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – He’s a fun-loving, active and athletic 14-year-old who has dreams of joining the military one day, but first he has one wish – to find a place to call home. 

Michael is an all-around kind and laid-back teen who is fun to be around.

He’s also quite the athlete – so KFOR took him to try one of the few sports he hadn’t yet – pickleball.

At Chicken N Pickle in Oklahoma City, Michael quickly learned the rules of the game.

Michael is a freshman this year and is trying out for several teams at his high school.

He’s competitive but a good sport.

When he’s not on the court or on the field he likes to relax.

“Like every teenage boy, I like to play video games,” Michael said. “I like hanging out with my friends. I love food, food’s pretty good.”

Michael says when he graduates high school, he has dreams of joining the military and serving his country.

“And protect the people that I love,” he told News 4.

Michael knows joining the military won’t be easy.

He also knows his own strength.

He’s been in DHS custody since 2016 – overcoming the struggles that come with that.

“It’s been a long ride, I’ll tell you that,” Michael said. “It’s had its ups and downs.”

One of the toughest parts, he says, is not being with his little brother and sister

“Sometimes I talk to my sister on the phone but the last time I saw her was Christmas,” Michael said. “Frankly, I don’t think she even knows she has a brother.”

Michael hopes to find a home in Oklahoma – so he can reconnect with his siblings.

“I haven’t seen my brother in about five or six years,” he said.

This is a teen who values family over everything.

He says that unconditional love – and just one more thing – are all that’s missing in his life.

“A place to well – a place to that I can call home – somewhere I can know I can go to, somewhere I know I’ll have a bed to sleep in at night,” said Michael.

These are simple requests from this teen as he searches for that perfect place to call home. 

Your best shot at adopting a child is to go ahead and get the process started. It can take a few months to get approved. For all of the details contact the DHS hotline at 1-800-376-9729 or visit online.  

A Place to Call Home is sponsored by True Sky Credit Union.