Coronavirus: Florida family virtually adopts two-year-old girl over a Zoom call

When the Florida court system closed amid lockdown orders, this family did not want it to stop their adoption dream. So they got creative.

An American couple has officially adopted a child into their family over a Zoom call.

Cayela and Evan Moody, from Florida, USA, had been fostering two-year-old Isla for most of her life and were desperate to officially make her a Moody.

Mr and Mrs Moody had submitted paperwork for the adoption right before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but soon courts closed amid stay-at-home orders.

They continued to push for their adoption, and soon a court hearing was held over a Zoom conference call.

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Isla is now officially a Moody.

The Moodys have fostered Isla for more than 700 days; she has been with the family since she was a week old.

Six weeks after the courts closed, the family got a call notifying them that their court date had been rescheduled … and would take place over a zoom meeting in just one week’s time.

The Moodys crammed around a computer screen in their living room to witness Isla’s Zoom adoption hearing on April 30.

Mr and Mrs Moody when they were younger

It’s a pretty big family — there’s Isla, then Mr and Mrs Moody, as well as their children Nolan, Harrison, Margaret, and Evelyn and another foster child.

The family even found a creative way to celebrate Isla’s adoption day with their community, despite social distancing measures.

Community members decorated their cars with balloons and banners and drove past the Moodys' house to congratulate Isla.

Mr and Mrs Moody began fostering Isla when she was just seven days old.

Mrs Moody was ecstatic over social media.

“When she (Isla) was a few weeks old, I had a dream,” the proud mother said in a Facebook post.

“She was two and all dressed up with beautiful red shoes. She walked outside with a caseworker holding her hand. Right before she was loaded in the car she looked back at me and said, ‘Bye, Mama.’

“It has haunted me for almost 700 days and I never ever let anyone dress her in red shoes.

“Until today.

When she was a few weeks old, I had a dream. She was two and all dressed up with beautiful red shoes. She walked...

Posted by Cayela Moody on Thursday, April 30, 2020

“Evan wept on the zoom meeting,” she continued on Facebook.

“He shared about a conversation we had after she had been with us for 48 hours. Someone had asked if we were interested in adopting her if it came to that.

“He told me, ‘You don’t ever have to ask me again. I’m all in.’”