Photo: Matt McGraw(DELAWARE) — A 4-year-old Star Wars fangirl received the adoption ceremony of her dreams two days before Christmas.
Zoe Pedicone was greeted by Darth Vader and Chewbacca at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington, Delaware, Friday, moments before her foster parent, Deanna Pedicone, was officially named her new mom.
“I wanted to do something fun because it’s a very long, hard journey. So when we got to the finish line, I wanted it to be whatever she wanted,” Pedicone of Newark, Delaware, told ABC News. “I asked her, ‘If you can have anybody at your adoption, who would it be?’ And after family and friends, it was Darth Vader.”
Pedicone, who has been a foster mom for three years, said Zoe was placed in her care in 2013.
The pair developed a special bond and Pedicone decided to adopt her in April. But instead of a traditional ceremony, Pedicone made the event extra-special for Zoe, a Star Wars buff who loves her lightsaber and evil villain Darth Vader.
Pedicone enlisted help from Garrison Carida, a local chapter of the 501st Legion, an international Star Wars charity costuming group, whose volunteers make appearances at charity events and public gatherings while dressed as characters from the film.
Besides Darth Vader, the Delaware courthouse proceedings included Stormtroopers, R2-D2, Chewbacca and others.
Family Court Judge Barbara Crowell finalized the adoption — dressed as Princess Leia.
“It was a great deal of fun,” Crowell told ABC News. “Most of the work I do in family court is working with children at risk. A lot of that is heartbreaking and challenging, but it’s when we get families reunified that it is heartwarming.
Family and friends filled the courtroom as Judge Crowell waved a lightsaber to make Zoe’s adoption official, while lights flashed and the “Star Wars” theme song played.
“I can’t imagine life without her,” Pedicone said of her daughter. “I don’t think she ever really understood she was in foster care. Our family always treated her like she was ours. We got about a year-and-a-half into it and I said, ‘I’m really getting attached here.’
Star Wars is a production of Lucasfilm, which, like ABC News, is owned by The Walt Disney Co.
