US1 min(s) read
Published 16:35 04 Dec 2020 GMT
A police officer has won hearts across America after formally adopting the four-year-old girl he helped to rescued from an abusive home.
Brian Zach, lieutenant of the Kingman Police Department and his wife Cierra, officially adopted Kaila this summer.
Zach was working as a patrol sergeant in March 2018 when he received a call asking him to check Kaila's residence, and in an interview with Good Morning America, he said that the pair bonded that night.
"We colored, we snacked... she held my hand and she was just this cute little thing," Zach said. "Once detectives came, they picked her up and took her to the hospital."
This single dad adopted five siblings so that they wouldn't be separated:
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At the time, Kaila was being treated for physical injuries as a result of the abuse she endured, for which criminal charges were filed against her caretakers.
Zach explained that he and his wife decided to step in when child protection services were unable to find an immediate placement for Kaila.
"She came with a sippy cup, a bag of clothes that didn't fit her and that was it," Zach said.
"Within the second day she was calling my wife 'mom' or 'mommy,'" he added. "I was 'guy' for a week or two and then when she started preschool she learned who dad was."
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However, 30 months after she first came into the couple's care, at Mohave County Superior Court in Lake Havasu City, Kaila was officially adopted by the Zachs.
"We lived each week not knowing if she was going to go back to her biological parents, or how long we were going to keep her," Zach said "Our goal was to love and care for this little girl for as long as it happened."
According to Zach, Kaila enjoys preschool, animals, dancing, and engages in make-believe play when she goes on "cruise vacations" in her cardboard box.
Kingman Police Department's chief of police Rusty Cooper told the news outlet: "Lt. Brian Zach’s commitment to public safety is exemplified in his commitment and love for Kaila. Both Brian and his wife Cierra are amazing parents.
"They are committed to the service of others and a cause that is greater than themselves," Copper added. "We are proud of Brian and thankful that he and his family are part of the Kingman Police Department."
"She is so comical, she is so witty," Zach added. "She's just a character."
Zach is now encouraging other people who are considering adoption not to fear the process because it is "well worth it."
