Jen Lilley has been having a truly memorable summer. Along with spending time with a friend while showing off impressive cheerleading moves in Turks and Caicos, the singer and actress — who has appeared in Hallmark and Great American Family movies as well as on both “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives” — has just shared a look at a recent trip she took that was surely one she’ll always hold close to her heart for one incredibly special reason.
Jen Will ‘Never Forget This Trip’
Lilley took to Instagram on Saturday, August 8, to share a video that showed herself and two young girls enjoying themselves at an amusement park. The trio can be seen hanging out with animals, spending time in the water and enjoying some sweet treats. They also rode a few roller coasters, saw a fireworks show and appear to have had an incredible time together.
“I’ll never forget this trip,” Lilley wrote in the caption of her post while also admitting that she cried while making the voiceover for her video. And when you realize what you’re watching, you’ll definitely understand why the star was feeling emotional.
“Thank you @discoverycove and @seaworldorlando for helping me make up for lost time with my sweet girl 😮💨❤️❤️,” Lilley added while referring to the older of the two girls that can be seen in the video, whose name is Loriah.
Who is Loriah? Well, Lilley notes that she offers “the full background on our story” in her book “Called to Foster? an Honest Guide to Getting Started;” however, she explains in her caption, “[B]asically, we desperately wanted to adopt her and were blocked [by] DCFS and lied to by several people about her whereabouts for years.”
“There were times I thought she might be dead. I prayed for years and often wondered where she was,” Lilley recalled before revealing that eventually she got news that Loriah was okay and they were able to reconnect.
Although Lilley admits that there’s nothing that they can do to change the past, they are now “FINALLY picking back up where we left off and making up for lost time. 😮💨💕😭❤️❤️❤️”
Jen Never Gave Up Hope of Finding Loriah After the ‘System Lost Her’
If you weren’t aware, Lilley and her husband Jason Wayne, are parents to sons Kayden (who’s around 7) and Jeffrey (who is 5 or 6) “whom they adopted from foster care in 2019 and 2020, respectively,” according to People, as well as daughters Julie (who is also around 7) and Jackie (who’s 4).
Lilley and Wayne also wanted to adopt Loriah; however, they were unable to do so. Despite that, they’ve now reconnected and are already marking special occasions and making new memories with each other.
For instance, back in May, Lilley shared an Instagram video showing Loriah’s high school graduation as well as clips and photos from when she was younger.
“Words fall short for all I’m feeling,” Lilley wrote along with her post. “This is our sweet Loriah. The reason we became foster parents. The girl who stole our hearts. The little girl who blew out the candles on her 8th birthday and changed our lives forever. We walked through hell and back together. A failed adoption. A period where the system lost her. But a love that never died. Hope that never gave up.”
After noting that she hadn’t seen Loriah since 2018, Lilley explained that the teen has now graduated high school with honors and will be studying to become a registered nurse, which has made both Lilley and Wayne proud.
At the same time, Lilley added, “I think getting to celebrate her 18th birthday with her got me the most. If you read my book on foster care, then you can imagine how deep this parallel moment exactly 10 years apart of her blowing out her candles and making a wish hit me.”
Lilley ended her caption by including a message for the girl that she cares so much for, saying, “Loriah, we love you forever!!! We are so proud of the sweet, kind, and resilient young woman you are and always have been. 💕💕💕”
