VIDEO: IN girl asks stepfather to adopt her in emotional letter

CLARKSVILLE, IN (WAVE) - A 12-year-old Southern Indiana girl has taken a giant step toward landing herself a father with an emotional "adoption proposal" letter her stepdad read aloud on camera.

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Tonya Beyke of Clarksville, Indiana, said her daughter Jenna Basham's biological father is out of the picture. The only father the girl knew, Jenna's stepfather Ronnie Basham, was in her life from birth, but he died before Jenna's second birthday.

Beyke remarried three-and-a-half years ago. She said her current husband, Jon Beyke, "has stepped up and is the father Jenna needs."

Tuesday night, Jenna presented Jon with a letter she wrote to him. She had him read it aloud as her mother recorded it on her cell phone.

"Dear Daddy," Jenna wrote. "I love you with all my heart! You are the awesomess (sic) dad in the world! You complete me, your (sic) my other half, and I would love if you would adopt me."

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Jon became emotional and had to pause when he got to the words "adopt me."

Jenna went on to write: "My daddy Ronnie would want me to be happy and have a dad that would love and care for me, and that's exactly what you are."

Jon didn't hesitate telling Jenna he'd make things legal by adopting her.

"Yeah, I would. Absolutely," he said as he gave Jenna a big bear hug and a kiss.

Coincidentally, Jon is also adopted. Jenna said he has been looking for his own birth parents without any luck so far. All he knows is that his biological mother was a college student who gave him to Home of the Innocents in Louisville in 1979.

The Beykes have a blended family. Jon has three children, and Tonya has five.

In a similar story in Texas this week, a 21-year-old woman asked her stepfather to read aloud a letter she wrote asking him to adopt her. Watch that video here.

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