Michael Orlando Clark Jr. had one condition for the most important day of his life: he wanted his entire kindergarten class there.
On Thursday, December 5, 2019, at the Kent County courthouse in Michigan, Andrea Melvin and Dave Eaton officially adopted him after being his foster family for nearly a year. But the courtroom wasn’t filled only with lawyers and paperwork: it was filled with five-year-old children waving paper hearts attached to sticks. One by one, they introduced themselves to Judge Patricia Gardner. “Michael is my best friend”, said Steven. “I love Michael”, said Lily.
His teacher, Kerry McKee, summed up what everyone was feeling: “Family doesn’t have to be about DNA, because family is support and love”. When the gavel struck the table, the entire courtroom erupted in applause. Michael, now with a dad and mom forever, could only say in front of the cameras: “I love my dad so much!”. That day, Michael understood that he not only had a dad and mom, but also an entire class full of friends who were happy for him.
