Unless you have been sleeping inside a Tauntaun on Hoth for the last month, chances are you’ve come across the cosplaying genius that is “The Real Finn and Rey” as well as their adorable daughter, “Baby8”.
If you are anything like me, your first thought was probably, “Holy crap! This is awesome!” However, the story behind the trio is an emotional tale of Pixarian proportions, truly worthy of the Star Wars franchise.
After following the family’s Facebook page (see below) I came across a GoFundMe* link asking for help raising money for Addie’s (Baby8) adoption. It was through this fundraising page that I started to catch a glimpse of the young threesomes’ journey.
When Julianne (Rey) was 18, she found herself unexpectedly pregnant and in no condition to care for the child. Despite this, she chose to see the pregnancy through and give her son up for adoption.
“Adoption is so often overlooked as an option. It's either abortion or parenting, and all too often women choose abortion because they aren’t ready to give everything up and parent. What I want to bring awareness to is that there is another option and it's not half as scary as you think. You can give your baby life and give the greatest gift to a couple who can't have a baby of their own.” Jules writes.
While it was incredibly difficult to give her baby up, Jules knew in her heart she was making the right decision. Now, more than three years later, despite the original sadness, she has contact with her son and knows he is living a happy, healthy life and she has the peace of mind of knowing that she made the right choice for her and her family.
“This is what I want for every young girl stuck in my situation. To find their perfect match and feel right and relieved when they place for adoption.”
A single mother making the difficult decision to let her son go so that he can have the chance of a better life… sounds familiar…
A few years after the adoption of her son, Jules found herself pregnant again, but under much different circumstances, and choose to raise her daughter (Addie) solo. Not long after Addie’s birth, they moved to Utah with the new hope of a fresh start. That’s where Julianne met Victor.
“We matched on Tinder and she knew two things right away: 1) that we had familiar connections and 2) that I was pretty nerdy, because my first Tinder photo was me cosplaying the Green Lantern.” Victor writes.
Turns out they had grown up living just fifteen minutes away from each other near Irvine, California and had even attended the same church! Victor had moved to Utah just a few years prior to Jules. After their initial Tinder talks, they began a courtship of which one main component was cosplay and all things geek (they did an AMAZING cosplay of Katniss and Cinna, which you can see on their Facebook page). But, where does Star Wars come into play? Victor explained.
“We knew The Force Awakens was coming out in December and I had only seen the prequel movies-- Jules had never seen any. We decided it was time to finally find out what we had been missing and do a full Star Wars marathon. We watched all 6 movies in a week and were blown away by the franchise! It's so amazing. It just takes you on the greatest journey and you fall in love with the characters--even the evil ones that seem to be battling with choosing good.”
Vic suggested that they go to Utah’s FanX 2016 as Finn and Rey. They later added “Baby8” so that Addie could join them and the effects were astounding!
Before the fandom fell in love with the “Star Wars Family”, Vic fell in love with both Jules and Addie and proposed; not just marriage, but also the wish to adopt Addie as his own.
(Loving a child not of your own blood, also very Star Wars.)
One thing the pair was not prepared for was the insane amount of money required to legally adopt (hence the GoFundMe page, link below). Their goal is to raise the money by their set court date, which is the 21st of this month!*
To me, Jules and Vic are the “Star Wars Family” because of their continuous effort to “choose the light.” They have been tried and tested, and continue to forge on and turn seemingly tragic situations around. Their love for each other and their daughter keeps them going and really, isn’t that what the Star Wars saga is about? People struggling to do what is right in a world filled to the brim with uncontrollable factors and maintain an open heart and mind in the process? About the strength and love of family; whether it be an estranged father who does what is right for his child in the end, or mothers who make tremendous sacrifices for their children, or the people who form a family through friendship and love?
Aren’t we all kind of Star Wars Families in that way? Perhaps that is why the series has spoken to generations over the last 40 years, and it is definitely why it will continue to do so for many more to come.
May the force be with you, Jules, Vic, and Addie!
*If you want to help the Star Wars Family seal the deal, feel free to donate at:
https://www.gofundme.com/addiesadoption
Or Like their page on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/familyfuncosplay/?fref=ts
More info: gofundme.com
“Star Wars was a key player in our bond. Cosplaying and these awesome films became our thing as a couple, and now as a family.” Victor.
Victor and Julianne at FanX in Utah
The family at FanX
