1 . It was summer 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, when CBS News first met Finn Lanning, a math teacher, and Damien, his student who always stood out.

Lanning was astonished when Damien told him he was not coming back to _______. He sat Damien down and found out what his story was. He learned that Damien had a _______ in heart and was in foster (寄养) care because social services couldn’t find a foster family willing and able to meet his medical needs. He was _______ to leave school and move into a hospital.

But the real _______ was that Damien needed a transplant desperately. A lot of times it’s _______ to get a transplant if someone doesn’t have a stable home to return to after surgery.

“It _______ me like a ton of bricks. I mean, you just can’t sit across from somebody you care about and hear them say something like that and know that you have room to help,” Lanning said. That’s how Lanning became a foster parent. He _______ Damien even though he’d been a confirmed bachelor (单身汉) who delighted in his childlessness.

They got along smoothly, although Damien refused to get too excited. “I’m afraid the bubbles will burst one day. It’s kind of bad thinking about that, but some people actually do that. Like, they’ll be happy with you one day and then just kick you out the next,” Damien said. Lanning told him he’s not going anywhere, _______ Damien believes it or not.

In the nearly two years since CBS News shared their story, Damien was able to get a transplant and he’s a much _______ 15-year-old. “It’s like a dream come true,” Damien said.

It’s proof that sometimes ________ do end happily ever after.