Age 8 Girl Asks Marine Stepdad To Officially Adopt Her In Heartwarming Clip

Jan 24, 2019 by apost team

The movie industry loves to make stepparents seem evil, but in the real world, there are many stepparents that bond strongly with the children they choose to raise. In households around the country, there are little ones that see these loving people as their parents. For Alessandra, referring to her stepdad as “dad” was not enough. She felt it was time to make it official.

Alessandra is an eight-year-old from North Carolina that has known her stepfather, Leonardo, as her “Papi” for nearly her entire life. The doting dad took over the role when he fell in love with Angela, Alessandra’s mom. After seven years of togetherness, the little girl took the business into her own hands and told her mother she wanted Leonardo to adopt her, so they would always be father and daughter.

The adorable duo may not be biologically related, but their similar appearance and personalities have fooled many people over the years. Their comfortable home life only added to the reality that this is a family that will be together forever. Alessandra had always felt this way, but she surprised her mother when she finally insisted that Leonardo adopt her. 

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Angela worried that this was too grown up a decision for a child of Alessandra’s age to make, but the determined girl would not budge. Soon Angela relented and agreed to help her daughter “propose” the adoption to Leonardo.

The proposal was planned as a surprise event for the unsuspecting father. In September of 2018, the family gathered at Veteran’s Park, a baseball field near the family home in Shelby County. Alessandra and friends and family worked hard to prepare her proposal and keep it a secret. Leonardo was given a baseball glove to shield his eyes as he was led onto the field where the little girl waited.

A heartachingly sweet sight was revealed as the glove came down. Alessandra stood on the pitcher’s mound holding a large handwritten sign. The bold statement on the banner read, “Papi, you are my forever home. Will you adopt me?

The answer to the question was clear instantly as Leonardo was powerless to hold back his tears. The little girl leaped from the mound and rushed to her soon-to-be-official dad, and the two shared a firm and loving hug. The bond they have is obvious to everyone and now the family would no longer feel the need to ever refer to Leonardo as anything but Dad.

The adoption was official on January 10th, 2019. Leonardo was bursting with pride and emotion when he shared the entire adorable story with his Facebook friends and the world the following day. Leonardo started with a warning about how long his post would be and then went on to write an emotional statement about his love for this sweet child. “I’m so thankful,” he told CBS news. “I can’t be any more thankful. I always give the glory to God.”

Alessandra, who obviously loves her father very much, has a much more down-to-earth reaction to the event. When asked by a reporter about how she feels about the adoption, she responded by saying that “it feels good, but it also feels normal”. As a typical eight-year-old she chose to celebrate the life-changing event in an expected way – she asked for ice cream.

Can you imagine anything more heartwarming than knowing that a child you adore loves you that much? Make certain that all the step-parents in your life have the chance to see this story so they can appreciate what their efforts mean to the children in their lives.