17-Year-Old Finds Forever Home with 60-Year-Old Adopted Parents: ‘You Are Now Us’

holding hands
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A 17-year-old from Florida found his forever home with a 60-year-old couple in Connecticut after a recent Zoom adoption ceremony made the family ties official.

“They’re amazing parents, so making it official would just be better,” James David Irish, 17, told WTNH.

After spending years in foster care, Irish has finally found his adopted home as Theresa McSpedon, and her husband, Scott, become first-time parents at the age of 60.

“When I first saw him, I just instantly fell in love with him,” said Theresa. “How could you not fall in love with those gorgeous little curly locks and that face.”

The couple met Irish through Theresa’s father, who was Irish’s advocate. If a child cannot be placed with a blood relative, a known mentor can help facilitate the adoption process.

The couple is looking forward to college visits and boat trips with their son.

At the end of the adoption ceremony, Theresa turned to Irish and said, “We are you, and you are now us. We love you.”

Couples are increasingly turning to Zoom for their adoption ceremonies as courtrooms remain closed due to the pandemic.

In April 2020, one Arkansas adopted a two-year-old boy over Zoom, and a five-year-old girl was adopted in a virtual ceremony in Pennsylvania because the coronavirus canceled all court hearings.

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