From Foster Break to Fatherhood: The Phone Call That Made Peter Mutabazi a Dad
When an 11-year-old asked, “Can I call you Dad?”, Peter Mutabazi said yes — and changed both their lives.
June 27 EST: Forget your scripted family dramas — Peter Mutabazi’s story is the kind of emotional arc that would make even the coldest Netflix algorithm cry.
He grew up on the streets of Kampala, Uganda, barely surviving abuse and homelessness. Now? He’s a full-time dad, foster parent, viral advocate, and all-around force of nature who’s helped more than 30 kids find safety, support — and sometimes, a forever home.
The best part? It all turned on a single moment: one kid, one question, and one deeply unplanned yes.
“Can I Call You Dad?”
In 2017, Mutabazi had just taken a break from fostering. Too many goodbyes, too much heartbreak. But then came a call about Anthony, an 11-year-old boy who’d been abandoned — yes, abandoned — by a previous adoptive family at a hospital. He needed a weekend placement. Peter said yes. Just for a few days.
Twenty minutes after arriving, Anthony looked at him and asked, “Can I call you Dad?”
That’s it. No build-up. No speech. Just the kind of moment that makes your throat close up and your heart go sideways.
Peter tried to stay detached — emphasis on “tried.” A few days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into adoption papers.
“He chose me,” Peter told People, sounding still a little in awe. “And I wasn’t about to let him down.”
Real-Life Father Figure Goals
Since adopting Anthony, Peter hasn’t slowed down. He’s now adopted two more siblings, Luke and Isabella, and fostered dozens more. He’s turned his home in Charlotte into something closer to a healing center than a house — complete with personalized bedroom makeovers for each new arrival.
No, seriously. Each kid picks their color palette, their bedspread, their vibe. “A room of their own” is more than a Virginia Woolf line here — it’s the first safe space many of them have ever had.
Not Just Viral — Vital
Yes, Peter has a following online. A big one. But it’s not some influencer gig. His TikToks aren’t dance videos — they’re real-time glimpses into what hope, chaos, and unconditional love actually look like in a foster home.
He uses his platform to crowdfund for foster families, renovate kids’ rooms, and talk about the parts of parenting that don’t make it into most Instagram captions.
What makes him magnetic is how unpolished it all is. There’s no “brand.” Just a guy answering the phone when a social worker calls, and doing his best — with his own past as proof that the worst beginnings don’t define the whole story.
A Trip Back Home, With His Son in Tow
This year, Peter took Anthony to Uganda — the place where Peter’s own story began. The trip wasn’t about trauma tourism. It was about roots. Closure. Showing a boy who was once left behind that healing is real and family can be chosen.
And chosen again. And again.
The Takeaway? Don’t Wait for the Perfect Moment
Peter’s not perfect. He’s tired. He’s funny. He’s blunt about how hard it is. But he keeps showing up — and that’s what’s made him the parent figure that dozens of kids have needed.
He never expected to be anyone’s dad. But one phone call changed that. One kid asked for something huge. And Peter, despite every fear and hesitation, said yes.
That “yes” turned into a life. Then another. And another.
And if that doesn’t qualify as a better series finale than most shows are giving us these days, what does?
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
