DAVIE, Fla. – The new movie "Instant Family" staring Rose Byrne and Mark Wahlberg uses comedy to show the challenges and triumphs facing foster parents and foster kids.
That's something Miami Dolphin wide receiver Albert Wilson knows all too well. Wilson and his siblings spent several years with foster families while their parents were in jail.
"Me and my sisters, you know, we kinda tried to hide it sometimes because we were kind of embarrassed but we had all the same opportunities as everyone else so I just wanted to let all the kids know," Wilson said. "Don't shy away from it, embrace it, and whatever you want to do, you still have that opportunity."
Wilson hosted foster families during a special screening of the movie in at the Paragon Ridge movie theater Davie last week.
He told them about how foster families and football helped shape his life, even though it wasn't easy.
"Take the fact that you have someone who loves you for who you are and is just accepting of everything you have to bring, so to have someone to do that for you is special. So you don't need to be embarrassed about it. It's definitely a blessed thing for someone to be able to do that for you," Wilson said.
Now Wilson is winning in life and on the field. He scored two touchdowns in his last game against the Chicago Bears. Wilson said he could not have gotten here without the foster parents who helped stabilize his life as a child. He makes time to give back and spend time with kids who are currently dealing with uncertainty he knows only too well.
"I definitely have a lot of respect for the parents that take in the kids, if it's adopting them or fostering them for, you know, two days or two years," Wilson said. "It definitely takes a special human being to invite somebody into your home and dedicate your life over to them."