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Surprise! Man Gives Step-Father Adoption Papers After 30 Years

1010 WINS- When Dave Skaggs had his 60th birthday coming up, his stepson, Joel Glenn decided it would be the perfect time to surprise him with something very special. Since coming into his life at just 10-years-old, Joel has been his role model.

Now 40-years-old and happily married, Joel the youngest of five brothers along with his wife, Sommer Anne had been thinking of asking Dave to adopt him ever since learning about the possibility of adult adoptions. "We didn't know about them until a year or so ago," Sommer Anne tells 1010 WINS. "Then, in August we talked with Joel's mom, Pamela Skaggs, and decided that it would be a fun and special gift to give him for his 60th Birthday coming up in October."

See Also: Watch This 11-Year-Old Girl's Reaction To Long-Awaited Adoption News

Surprise Adoption Papers
(Facebook.com/sommer.glenn)

When Dave married Pamela, he "took on a LOT of responsibility," says Sommer Anne. "The kids had not had an easy childhood, and Dave stepped up to the plate big time. When he was a teenager, Joel wasn't the best to Dave. He gave him a real hard time.

"Through the years, Joel's love and respect for Dave has just kept growing."

Dave, who has no biological or adopted children of his own, can now consider Joel to be his "only child" after receiving official adoption papers along with an emotionally written card as his gift on his 60th birthday.

Dave had no idea this surprise was coming," Sommer Anne says, "and we had no idea his reaction would be so intense, and so beautiful. It was a wonderful night. I feel so honored to be a part of this family - to be Joel's wife and Dave's daughter in law."

The card reads in full:

"You have been my dad, daddy, father, best man, best friend for 30 years now. You came into my life when I needed a dad the most. By your teaching and example, you have shown me what a real man is. By loving my mom, you have taught me how to love my wife. By sacrificing and standing beside me no matter what life threw at us, you showed me how to be a father to my own kids. I have such great memories of you throughout the years of us having fun together and you always making the tough decisions seem so easy. It has made me be able to make the hard but correct decisions.

"When I was young I didn't recognize who you were. Over the years, because of your honesty, integrity, work ethic, and unconditional love, I have come to see you are the man that I most respect, and you're my hero. I love you, dad."

Watch the full video below.

Surprise Adult Adoption by Sommer Glenn on YouTube

-Joe Cingrana

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