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SEE: Baby Veronica Reunited With Adoptive Parents

Matt and Melanie Capobianco with "Baby Veronica," taken Monday.
Capobianco family photo
Matt and Melanie Capobianco with "Baby Veronica," taken Monday.

We're a day late to this, but it's a story this blog has followed for a while and this latest development represents some closure.

On Tuesday, the 4-year-old known as "Baby Veronica" was reunited with her adoptive parents. As we reported, that was the same day the Oklahoma Supreme Court opened the door to that possibility.

If you remember, the case — which went all the way to the Supreme Court and involves fundamental questions about parental rights and Native American autonomy — is about a Native American girl who was adopted by a couple in South Carolina but who had been living with her biological father for more than a year and a half.

On Tuesday, Baby Veronica's parents released a photograph of the girl with Matt and Melanie Capobianco.

The adoptive parents issued this statement along with it:

"Nearly 21 months ago, we vowed to do everything legally possible to reunite our family. While we are overjoyed to bring Veronica home, we sympathize with the Brown family during this difficult time. Despite our differences, and everything that has happened over the last several months, we all love Veronica and want what is best for her. We are grateful that the visits we've enjoyed with our daughter allowed us to reconnect as a family and ease her transition home. We are all doing well and our focus now is on healing and getting our life back to normal. While we recognize there are many who have taken a strong interest in Veronica's case, we ask for privacy during this precious time with our daughter. We are eternally grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and support for our family."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.