Mother Secretly Gives Daughter up for Adoption – Father Finds Out and Fights to Win Her Back

Christopher Emanuel was ready to become a present father in his daughter's life. However, the mother of his child slowly detached herself from him and secretly gave their daughter up for adoption. Upon discovering what had happened to his child, he fought hard to get his little girl back.

In 2014, a South Carolina man, Christopher Emanuel, made the headlines after he fought for the custody of his daughter, Skylar, who was put up for adoption without his permission. He didn't think his daughter's mother would give her away and only learned of the adoption after signing up on a registry.

In an interview with ABC News, the man revealed that he feared he would never set eyes on his daughter again as he fought in a lengthy court battle. He pooled his resources to prove he was an engaged father and ready to welcome his daughter when his then-girlfriend lied about their daughter's birth.

According to Christopher, he was hurt and confused because he wanted to be there for his daughter. But, after hearing the news of his daughter's adoption, the father turned to the Court system in Aiken County, where Skylar was born.

Christopher Emanuel Learned of His Daughter's Adoption through the Responsible Fatherhood Registry

Under Southern Carolina law, an unmarried father could sign up on the responsible fatherhood registry — an online database through the Department of Social Services that lets the state know if a man has fathered a child.

A report revealed that Christopher added his name to the registry on February 4, 2014. Fifteen days later, the adoptive parents filed a motion to adopt Skylar. However, the South Carolina man was not included in the documentation as Skylar's biological father despite being listed as such on the registry.

At the time, Skylar was already living in San Diego, California, with the prospective adoptive parents, where her name was changed. Christopher claimed that he had medical documentation that showed his daughter bore another name and was never legally adopted.

The friend looked into father's rights in South California and stumbled upon the responsible father registry, an avenue for unwed fathers to be notified should their child be put up for adoption.

Rather than give up on his daughter, Christopher contested Skylar's adoption. According to court documents, the man's paternal rights were terminated without permission. He was desperate to do anything to get his daughter back, including adopting Skylar back with the help of his lawyers.

Christopher Emanuel's Relationship with Skylar's Mother

Following the sequence of events, Skylar's mother is nothing more to Christopher than "the egg donor," as he calls her. Christopher and his former partner met in 2012 through their jobs at a manufacturing company.

Although they started as friends, their relationship escalated into a full-fledged relationship. Three months later, Christopher learned he was going to be a father. He recalled:

"It was my first child, and at the time, you know, I'm going to be there. We're going to do everything we got to do. It was in my heart that despite anything, I'm going to be there. I'm going to do what I got to do."

Although the couple planned to marry, the woman's parents did not favor him. Despite the odds stacked against them, Skylar's mother reassured Christopher that they would raise their daughter together.

Eventually, the woman distanced herself from Christopher and uninvited him to her doctor's appointments. His half-sister and her friend later feared his child would be given away after birth, but he believed his partner wouldn't do such a thing. Christopher even insisted that they would tie the knot and move in together.

The friend looked into father's rights in South California and stumbled upon the responsible father registry, an avenue for unwed fathers to be notified should their child be put up for adoption.

Learning of Skylar's Adoption and Fighting to Get Her Back

Christopher didn't put much thought into the registry and focused on planning a baby shower. However, when Skylar's mother failed to attend her own party, he started to worry and entered his name into the registry.

Not long after, he received papers about his daughter's birth the week prior and her immediate adoption into a family in a different state. Angry, he messaged Skylar's mother about how she lied to him.

He wasted no time getting his daughter back and sought legal help. "My daughter was stolen from me," Christopher said. "I asserted my rights. My rights were stripped of me. But not only that, now I've got to prove myself for my daughter."

Skylar's adoptive parents were also deceived, made to believe that the father was no longer in the picture. Despite their contest to raise Skylar well and send her to the best school, Christopher rebutted that no one could love his daughter like her father.

Fortunately, his desperation did not last for more than a year. Following the court's decision to grant the man sole custody three months later, he took her home.

Happy about winning his daughter back, Christopher revealed that Aiken County made him feel safe and filled him with joy. He said:

"I felt her breath for the first time, seeing her eyes, seeing her touch. It was like I lost a part of me. I was lost; I was so lost, and I felt complete. I felt whole again."

The Aiken County Judicial Court brought Skylar back home where she belonged. In 2015, Christopher began the "Sky Is The Limit" Foundation to educate fathers on their parental rights.

He aims to preserve responsible fathers' rights and end predatory adoption trafficking that strips adopted children of their families, identity, and culture. The foundation also mentors parents amid a custody crisis. It also offers parenting classes and resources to willing fathers in need through "daddy dollars."

In a similar story, a woman had two of her triplets put up for adoption. It wasn't until years later that they reunited while in a mall.