One day in 2007 as Judi Harris was looking through KVC adoption profiles, she came across a child with an I.D. number that matched her birth date. “I looked at the profile and thought maybe it was meant to be,” said Judi.

His name is Zech. He was 14 at the time, and he had been hoping for a Forever Family to call his own ever since he was four. But by the time Judi turned in her interest letters to adopt him in 2007, Zech said he had given up. Judi was living in Wichita, and Zech was living in Kansas City and didn’t want to move, so the adoption didn’t happen.

In April 2009, Judi adopted two boys, 3-year-old Michael and 4-year-old Christopher. But Judi’s family wasn’t quite complete. She called her case worker and found out that Zech was still available for adoption, so she tried again. “Something drew me to him and I just kept going, even though he had kind of rejected me,” said Judi. 

This time “it just happened,” said Zech. On Friday, August 27, 2010, Judi dressed up Michael and Christopher and took them to pick up Zech without telling any of the children what was going on. When they arrived at the courthouse, Michael asked her, “Are we here to adopt Zech?” And after a 3-year-long journey, they finally were. The adoption came as a surprise to all three boys, but Christopher and Michael were excited to be getting 16-year-old Zech as a big brother. Zech said the best part about his adoption day was “everything.”

Today Zech is a sophomore at Wichita Southeast High School in Wichita, Kansas, where he has been living happily with his new Forever Family for more than a year. He plays basketball and is interested in law and sports.

“I love Zech so much, and he couldn’t be a better kid,” said Judi. “Everyone Zech meets tells me how wonderful he is, and I almost want to gloat because I already know it.”