Willa Gray Akins was born Nov. 1, 2015. Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, adopted her on adopted on May 11, 2017, and she is their oldest child. Willa was adopted from Uganda, where Lauren met her in 2016 while on a mission trip. Lauren told People that when she visited Uganda, she connected with Willa — who was going by the name Blessing — immediately. "When I met Willa, her story was pretty intense. All orphans have heart-wrenching stories, but it felt like this specific baby was ours. I think that the Lord knew what he was doing when he did not let us get pregnant."
Thomas also told People that when he came to Uganda months later to meet her, after he and Lauren decided they wanted to adopt her, Willa wasn't too keen on him at first. "I reached for her and she was like, 'Who the crap are you with that beard?' But I was astonished at how quickly I bonded with her — and how immediately, she just felt like she was my child."
Willa is now happily part of the Akins family and stars in a number of adorable family photos that her parents share on social media.