A U.S. Marine was adopted by his stepfather during a special Christmas Eve ceremony on Tuesday, NBC News reported.
In a Long Island courtroom, 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Christopher Mohedano Hernandez was formally adopted by the man who married his mother when he was a young boy and related his situation to the story of Joseph and Jesus.
"They weren't related by blood, but to Joseph, he was his son," Mohedano-Hernandez said. "I feel the same way about my father; he knows that I'm his son and I feel the same exact way. Blood relation or not, I am his son."
The ceremony also included two other adoption cases, though the Houston Chroncile points out that Judge Edward McCarty, a U.S. Army colonel who served in Iraq and Kuwait, paid special attention to Hernandez's moment.
Hernandez recently returned home on leave from his station in Twentynine Palms, California on Monday. He said he hopes of becoming a physician and making a career out of the military.
"Chris was always a loyal kid and always had high expectations," said Luis Mohedano. "I'm very happy that this day has finally come."
The Marine is part of what experts call a growing trend in adult adoptions. Judge McCarty said he's witnessed at least 40 cases of them over the past years.
Chuck Johnson, president and CEO of the National Council For Adoption, said state adoption and welfare agencies do not count statistics since the adoptions involve adults. However, he agrees that the amount of adult adoptions have been on the rise.
"There is something about having that legal process to verify what happened in your heart," Johnson said.
