'Thank You for Being the Mom That I Needed': 21-Year-Old Woman Asks Stepmom to Adopt Her

If you are familiar with fairytales, you will know that the stepmother is usually a witch or simply an evil individual. However, in one woman's case, her stepmom raised her to turn her own life into a fantasy - and she knew exactly how to thank her.

Marissa Thamann from Cincinnati, Ohio's biological mom, Merideth, tragically passed away from a pulmonary embolism when she was only three months old.

Six years following her mother's death, Marissa's stepmother Heather Thamann walked down the aisle with her father and brought her up from a young age.

A SECRET QUESTION

This relationship between the two is why Marissa and her best friend Alyssa decided to plan a heartfelt surprise for Heather on Christmas Day of 2017. Speaking about Heather, the stepdaughter said:

"She is very outgoing. She is caring about everybody, and she thinks about others first."

On the special day, Marissa's sister Olivia filmed the stepmother opening the present her stepdaughter chose for her, was Heather broke down in tears.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

The clip shows the mother unwrapping the present only to find an ornament with "My Wonderful Mother" written on it. The back was a proposal from Marissa, asking her stepmom if she would adopt her. It included a letter which read:

"The work that you have put into being there for me is something that can't ever be replaced... Thank you for being the mom that I needed."

The then 21-year-old expressed that referring to Heather as her "stepmother" is a borderline insult and that she is the best thing her father has ever given her.

SHARING THE LOVE ONLINE

In the video clip shared on Facebook, the soon-to-be legal mom was crying with joy when she realized the beautiful gift she had just received. Overcome with emotion, Heather expressed:

"I've been waiting for so long."

Marissa said that she knew and apologized for taking so long. The video became highly popular, gathering a whopping 1100 views and 41 reactions.

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A LONG TIME COMING

Commenting on the beautiful moment, the loving sibling, Olivia, stated that both mother and daughter had wanted to do this for ages. In her own words, she said:

“It’s something that they both have really wanted for a while now, and it was very heartwarming...that they are able to do that now."

We should not define family by blood. Instead, it is about those who genuinely care for us and are there through the darkest of times. It appears that both Heather and Marissa have this type of beautiful relationship.