Watch This Acadiana Family Announce Adoption In The Sweetest Way
This might be one of the most heartwarming videos I have seen come out of Acadiana in a while.
One Acadiana family decided to surprise their son after a baseball game with the news that he will be changing his last name...he is getting adopted by his mom's current husband, who has been in his life for eight years.
10-year-old Gage got the surprise of a lifetime following his baseball game. His mom, Mindi, her husband Derek, along with Gage's little sister Maddi (affectionately known as MJ) walked up to Gage following his game and held up his new baseball jersey with Leblanc on the back (his future and long-awaited last name).
Cue the tears. This sweet boy's face made me emotional as he realized what was happening, his life is about to change in the best way.
I spoke with Mindi and here's what she had to say about the surprise:
I met Derek when Gage was 2 years old and they have been father/son ever since! Derek and I got married in December after 7 years together so we started the adoption process a few months ago and our court date is in 2 weeks! Gage will legally be Derek's son and he will get his new last name - LeBlanc!
Gage is Mindi's son from a previous marriage. His father is not in the picture, and Derek always thought of Gage as a son, and after months of hiding this secret, it's out -- and it brings all the warmth and joy to your heart. Shoutout to little MJ: she has an official big brother, which is something that Gage has wanted for years.
We've been keeping this a secret from him for 3 months so that we could surprise him with his new seasons baseball jerseys! It was so worth the wait!! Gage has wanted this for years! Gage adores MJ and he's always wanted to have the same last name as her!
Here's the full video of the surprise of Gage's lifetime. Grab your tissues.
As soon as I saw this story, I felt the need to write about it. Family is so important, but blood is not everything. Everyone wants to feel like they belong within their family, and sometimes, your last name not being the same as the rest of your family is discouraging and hurtful. Even though it is intentional, at that young age, it gets to be confusing.
Gage has a wonderful family, same last name or not. This is a story of loving someone as your own and continuing this special relationship they have formed.
Congratulations to this beautiful family, and congratulations to Gage. You're surely loved, dude.