Jackson County Family Court can be depressing as judges deal with child problems and trauma, but not on Friday.
The waiting area outside the Kansas City courtrooms overflowed with people there to celebrate finalizing adoptions for 39 children and two adults.
In a throw to the Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a small bell later rang as adoptions were completed.
The celebration of National Adoption Day included drawings, prizes and a speech by 17-year-old Victoria Plaskett.
She told how adoption by a Lee’s Summit couple at age 15 got her through difficult emotional problems and gave her a family.
“Look at me now,” she said. “My parents have always shown me love.”
And it was not always easy for parents Don and Debbie Plaskett, Victoria said.
She went into an orphanage as an infant and was previously adopted by another family at age 4, she said. But she was a troubled child, she said, and after eight years that family gave her up to state care.
She found Debbie Plaskett, her former teacher, on the Internet and Debbie visited her in foster care.
“She held my face in her hands and said, you will be OK,” Victoria said.
Don and Debbie started the process of adopting her and finished it about two years ago, in what Victoria called “my second chance of actually having a life I never had.”
She sorely tested them by running away because she did not believe she was worthy of a family, Victoria said, but she is over that.
“I believe everyone is worthy of a family,” she said. “I believe everyone is worthy of being loved.”
After the speech, her parents and new adult sisters joined her at the podium.
Soon the bell started ringing for other new families.
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