For a child caught in the whirlwind of the foster care system, a small act of kindness from a caring adult can make a world of difference.

For Giovan Bazan, there were three instances in his life where the kind words and actions of adults helped him see the light through the darkness. In one instance, a simple embrace from a couple he had never met before even saved his life, when he was contemplating suicide.

It’s for that reason why he thanked the hundreds sitting in front of him at Our Lady of the Lake church in Edwardsburg Friday evening, for their commitment to the lives of foster children. Bazan, a nationally recognized motivational speaker, addressed the crowd during the Cass County Court Appointed Special Advocates’ 11th annual dinner that evening.

“CASA is one of the most amazing programs that I have ever had the privilege to speak at,” he said. “Of all the programs I have had to work with, I cannot think of one that is more profound, more authentic and filled with more people who have pure compassion, pure caring nature. That is a beautiful thing. That is what helps bring our children up. That is what propels our society forward. That is what makes this world a better place.”

The speech was one of many festivities during Friday event, which serves as the main fundraiser for the Cass County foster child support program. Many people through the county attended the event, including CASA leaders and volunteers, child advocates, public officials and more.

Bazan, who recently spoke during the Michigan CASA fundraiser in May, knows all too well the pain of growing up in the foster care system.

The man was born in California to a Mexican immigrant, who abandoned him shortly after birth — to this day, Bazan has yet to meet anyone from his biological family, he said.

Growing up, he was placed in different foster families around 16 times, he said.

“If you are familiar with the foster care system, you would know this is a low number,” he said. “Of those 16 placements, all the connections, all the people, all the attachments I had made, were lost.”

It’s for that reason why Bazan began cherishing each moment he had with the people who cared for him, no matter how briefly he knew them.

One of the first people foster parents he made a connection with was with a woman Bazan refers to as “Mommy Karen.” Whenever he would do something naughty, like getting into the cookie jar, instead of just scolding him, his foster mother would give him a hug and ask him gently if he knew what he had done wrong.

Tragically, Bazan’s time with her was cut short, as she died of cancer when he was 6 years old.

His life then took a sharp turn for the worse, as his other foster parent and his foster brother began abusing him. Labeled a problem child by the court, he was ordered to take medication for a number of mental disorders.

When Bazan was 12, he began running away from home, and began frequently staying in juvenile detention centers, children shelters and group homes.

It was during this time in his life when he hit rock bottom, and began contemplating taking his own life. However, he began to turn his life around when a couple he had never seen before — and never seen since — came up to him and hugged him before one his appearances in court.

“They looked me directly in the eye and they said ‘I don’t what you’ve been through. I don’t know who you are. But we love you, and you matter,’” Bazan said. “It was first time I remember anyone ever saying that to me. I had hope, and I had a belief that my life would get better. Everything I had experienced, all the pain, all the sorrow — it wasn’t for nothing.”

The third person who Bazan remembered was someone he called “Uncle Jimmy,” who was the brother of another of his former foster parents. When the rest of the family went on a trip to Disney World — Bazan was left behind because his foster parents “didn’t want him to ruin [the trip] — his foster uncle decided to take him fishing to cheer him up.

While Bazan quickly grew frustrated at his inability to catch any fish, his uncle continued to encourage him, telling him to keep on trying when the child wanted to give up. By the end of the afternoon, the pair had caught more than 30 Spanish mackerel, including a massive fish that Bazan spent around 30 minutes trying to reel in.

“I kept telling him ‘I can’t do it, Uncle Jimmy, you do it. I’m not strong enough,’” Bazan said. “He looked me dead in my eyes and said, ‘You are strong enough.’ He said it with such resolve and such belief that I couldn’t help but believe it myself.”

Thanks to support of people like “Momma Karen,” “Uncle Jimmy,” and the kind couple outside the courtroom, Bazan has overcome the trauma of the past. He no longer takes the medication he was prescribed as a child. In addition to his career as a motivational speaker, he is currently studying psychology at Lake Michigan College.

The man’s emotional, heart wrenching words brought the many in the reception hall that evening to tears, as they gave him a standing applause following his speech.

“The difference between the kid who slid through the cracks and the bigger kid who is standing on stage in front you is you,” Bazan said. “Thank you for being for the child, because I am the child.”