A teen was surprised after her adoption ceremony when her mom revealed she had added her to a family tree tattoo on her arm.
J-dyn, 18, came into her now-mom Bobbiejo’s life as a niece on her in-laws’ side.
The youngster would hang out with Bobbiejo’s children and stay with the family during the summers.
And a few years down the line, when J-dyn (pronounced: Jayden) needed a foster home, Bobbiejo jumped at the opportunity.
Bobbiejo said she already thought of J-dyn as one of her own, so she applied for a kinship foster, where a family member or friend is approved as the foster carer of a child.
J-dyn always knew she wanted to be adopted rather than reunify, and after a two-year process, from placement to terminating parental rights, the final stages of the adoption began.
It took three more months to book an adoption hearing, and during that time Bobbiejo decided she wanted to surprise J-dyn with something to mark her becoming an official member of the family.
The adoptive mom-to-be has a tattoo of a family tree on her arm with all her kids’ names on it and knew it would make for a fitting tribute to add J-dyn’s name before surprising her at her adoption hearing.
That moment took place on May 16, in Saint Albans, Vermont, with Bobbiejo asking two of her kids to capture the surprise on video.
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After the ceremony, Bobbiejo lifted her arm to show her daughter, which caused J-dyn to beam with happiness and then cover her mouth in shock at the thoughtfulness of the gesture.
Bobbiejo said: “J-dyn would come over and hang out with my children and stay all summer, so it was like a home away from home for her already.
“A couple years down the road she needed placement, and I jumped at the opportunity to do kinship-foster.
“As soon as she was here the plan was always for her to stay, and that she wanted to be adopted rather than reunify.
“She already had a special place in our lives, and I already had thought of her as one of my own.
“I have a family tree arm with all my kids’ names on it, and it felt fitting to surprise her on our adoption day to show her she was added to it.
“I think the surprise made it seem so much more real to her, that she was finally home and apart of us, as she now joined her sisters and brothers in my family tribute.
“It was a wholesome emotional experience filled with joy and completeness.”
