A couple from Indiana adopted their 39-year-old daughter on Thursday after giving her up when she was just a baby.
Roger Roth and Marcie Keithley, who met in 1973 in Pennsylvania, signed papers to adopt their daughter Jessica and also change her name back to her name at birth, Jessica Roth.
The family’s attorney Anna Murray said ‘We have something, a special surprise for you today. If you want to, your biological parents have agreed to readopt you,’ according to USA Today.
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Roger Roth (left) and Marcie Keithley (right) adopted their 39-year-old daughter, Jessica (center), on Thursday after giving her up when she was just a baby
Jessica couldn’t hide her excitement as she screamed out ‘Yay’ while the trio began to sign the relevant documents to become a family again.
Marcie and Roger had been dating for about eight months in 1978 when she found out she was pregnant.
Unfortunately for her, Roger decided he was incapable of being a father and wasn’t ready for the lifelong commitment to the child, or to her.
The mother and daughter were filmed as they emotionally signed documents to become a family again
He admitted ‘I really wasn’t ready to settle down and at the time I felt guilty about the whole situation,’ to which Marcie revealed she was ‘devastated.’
As the birth was fast approaching Roger convinced Marcie to give up the baby, to give the child a better life, one they couldn’t provide.
Marcie agreed to give the child to friends of her doctor and her and Roger ended up parting ways also.
Despite giving the baby up, both Marcie and Roger were filled with regret and Roger eventually returned to Marcie admitting they’d made a mistake and made a plea to get their daughter back.
In 1979 he said: ‘Is it too late? Let’s get our daughter back.’
Despite giving the baby up, Marcie (right) was relentless and did everything she could to get her daughter (left) back
Marcie is pictured here hugging her father after the family decided they should adopt her
The couple fiercely searched for their baby girl but had little luck, however they didn’t relent in their hunt for Jessica.
Marcie and Roger, who in this time had gotten married, posted a letter on an adoption website and a woman ended up reaching out and offering to help.
When Jessica was 29-years-old she reconnected with her biological parents: ‘Mama, is this really you?’ she asked on the phone. An emotional Marcie replied: ‘Yes, honey, I am.’
For her birthday Roger and Marcie sent their daughter a plane ticket to Louisville and a bouquet of 29 yellow, white and pink roses, to represent every year they had missed.
Pictured here is Jessica (left) her mother (top) and Roger (right) with one of Jessica’s children
Marcie and Roger had been dating for about eight months in 1978 when she found out she was pregnant but ended up giving Jessica away (pictured here)
Jessica’s parents were devastated to discover that their daughter had endured a very tough life, suffering with drug and alcohol addictions and having five children by five different fathers (she gave up two of her kids to adoption.)
The transition to becoming a united family proved to be quite difficult: ‘Not every family is rainbows and sunshines, you know,’ Jessica said. ‘You have your bumps. You have your hurdles. And that’s how you learn everything.’
Additionally, Jessica’s adoptive parents have both passed away. Her adoptive mother died of cancer in 2012 and her adoptive father died in 2006.
Despite Marcie and Roger being divorced the trio put on a united front Thursday when all three signed the paperwork to initiate Jessica’s adoption officially.