12-Year-Old Girl Thinks She's Getting A New Volleyball Bag — Instead She Was Surprised With Adoption Papers From Her Stepfather
She's had him wrapped around her finger for a decade. They always knew they were family, but now it's just officially on paper.
YouTube A father and daughter duo are melting hearts across the Internet after the father asked her a very important question while presenting her with a new volleyball bag.
The unsuspecting girl soon discovered that the volleyball bag was not her only gift.
The stepfather surprised the girl with adoption papers that were tucked inside the volleyball bag.
Drew Yocum and his stepdaughter Ariane have known each other since she was two years old. Drew married Ariane's mother, Ashley, in 2010 after completing boot camp for the US Marine Corps.
Since day one, he has felt like Ariane was his own flesh and blood and has raised her as his own biological daughter.
Additionally, he stepped in as her team’s basketball and volleyball coach. So it seemed like the perfect idea to surprise the 12-year-old with a new travel bag for the volleyball team she plays for containing the papers that would change her life.
As the stepfather and daughter sit side by side on the couch in their Palm Harbor, Florida home, Ashley records the unforgettable moment.
Ariane sifts through the backpack, pulling out a pair of socks and kneepads. “That’s so cool!” she exclaims. “It’s like Christmas!” Little did she know, it was about to get better than Christmas.
Inside the bag stuffed inside one of the pockets was a piece of paper. Upon reading it, Ariane’s mouth drops open in shock.
“Adopted?!” she asks, turning to Drew. The stepfather confirms that he has always wanted to officially adopt the girl, however, wanted to wait until she was old enough to have a say in the decision herself.
“I love you with my whole heart,” Drew tells Ariane. “And if you want to do this, I’m in.” The 12-year-old graciously accepts his offer, and together they sign the papers to make it official.
RELATED: Adopted Girl Tells Mom What 'Happened To Her Heart' The First Time She Saw Her New Family
The heart-melting moment has been viewed over 10 million times on YouTube.
“This was not just about adoption papers. It was also, the fact that he waited till she was 12 so that she can have a say in it. That is the best dad ever,” one person commented.
“Being adopted, I have nothing but the utmost respect for this man!” another person shared. “This got me teared up. These are the moments that make life wonderful,” another added.
The father admits that he was holding back tears throughout the whole experience. His wife Ashley knew that her daughter’s reaction would be priceless.
“I knew Ariane was going to be excited once she saw the papers because I know how much she loves him — but I had no idea she would be this speechless!” the mother told Happily News. “I was so happy that her reaction was the way it was just because Drew deserved it.”
Ashley shared that she and Drew have struggled to have their own biological children, suffering multiple miscarriages. However, in his eyes, Ariane is his child.
“The message I would like for this video to show is even in the world we live in now there are happy stories like this out there and these are the kind of stories that needs to be shared,” Ashley says.
“Also, for the moms going through hard times, there is someone out there that will love your child as much as you do – it’s all in God’s timing.”
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.