CBS' long-running holiday special A
Home for the Holidays for the first time in its history
featured a gay dad's adoption story.
The 16th annual special,
broadcast Friday, featured uplifting stories about families who have
adopted children from foster care.
One segment featured Rich Valenza, who
became a single father when he adopted 5-year-old Zack and his
4-year-old sister, Emmary.
“I heard that they had been living
homeless and had been malnourished. When I went for my first
meeting, I remember that the foster mother called for the kids and
they came out so cautiously and they were so frail,” an emotional
Valenza said.
“And we sat and we played. … And, I
don't know, they just stole my heart at that time,” he said.
Later, Valenza met his partner, Jared
Glee, and the four became a family.
“He was really fun to hang out with
and I love talking to him,” Emmary said of Glee. (The video is
embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)