All week, Maleek, 5, has been asking, “When are we adopting my sister Sasha?”
Tuesday, he got a happy answer.
Dianna and Shakawan Mohammad finalized the adoption of 3-year old Sasha, celebrating the wonderful day with the whole family present. Dianna and Shakawan’s biological son Adam, 17, said of his new sister, “You can’t keep her away from us. She’s my baby girl.”
The Mohammad’s have seen their fair share of children over the last 13 years. Sasha joins the expansive family of her brother Maleek, and adoptive siblings Gage, 7, Hannah, 18, and Adam.
After learning Maleek would have a biological sister born into foster care, Dianna knew she wanted to bring them together. She had worked with Lighthouse Youth Services in the past to foster and adopt Maleek, as well as Gage. Dianna felt that raising Maleek and Sasha together would be the best choice for the two of them.
“Family is the most important thing,” she told Hamilton County Probate Court Magistrate Rogena Stargel. That’s why she took Sasha into her care straight from the hospital after the girl was born 13 weeks premature. Born a bit before her own birthday, Dianna counts Sasha an early present.
Sasha was happy to have her hair done with purple beads and wore a matching purple-and-white dress to the occasion. It was hard to catch a glimpse of her without the bear HCJFS adoption worker Christine Miller brought as gift for the newly adopted girl.
She was given another gift when Magistrate Stargel granted her adoption and deemed her Sasha Olivia Mohammad.
Daughter Hannah corralled the kids in as the day came to a close and commented on Sasha’s new last name: “We’re Mohammad, because we are ‘mad’ crazy.”
