(KCEN) -- A foster child was torn away from the only family he ever knew when he was 13-years-old.
Years later, he found his caring foster mother on the Internet.
On Friday, the now 32-year-old man was officially adopted by the woman he's always called his mother.
Most men heading to court to join with a woman, are there with their wife-to-be. But Maurice Griffin is here today with his mom-to-be.
Maurice was abandoned as a baby but at 3-years-old he found a loving family in Lisa Godbold and her husband Charles.
"The whole reason we got into foster care in the first place was because we wanted to adopt Maurice," said Lisa Godbold.
Over the next decade, Lisa and Charles became Maurice's family eventually becoming his foster parents.
"It was a great loving family raised Christian you know Sunday school and brunch afterwards," said Griffin.
But Maurice says the foster system failed him and he was taken away when he was 13 and bounced from foster homes to group homes where he was abused and mistreated.
Griffin said, "It's like being abducted from your family and being told to deal with it."
Through the tough times, Maurice held onto his memories and Lisa tried to find him.
"Not knowing where he was and not being able to have contact with him would be like having a child abducted," Lisa said.
But she never gave up, and in 2009 Lisa found Maurice on the Internet.
Their enduring love led them to this courtroom today and to a short proceeding, Maurice has been waiting for his whole life.
Now at 32-years-old, Maurice is officially Lisa's son.
"This is probably the happiest moment in my life. I love my family and it's good to be home," said Griffin.
