[ad_1]
The first time police officer Brian Zach (39) and little Kaila met, he was at work. So she was only two years old.
He was at work in the state of Arizona on patrol when he received the call that would change his life.
They told her that two-year-old Kaila had been found seriously injured, People writes.
He was the first to go to her that night. Two years later, she has become his adopted daughter. He and his wife Cierra already have two children, ages 17 and 19.
The case has been widely reported in the last week in the US media. Dagbladet has also been interviewed by the policeman.
– It’s a great feeling to be a father. Each child is different and special in their own way. My other two are closer in age and much older than Kaila, but I feel like she has such a good childhood, but hopefully better than my two oldest, she tells Dagbladet.
– She is the most beautiful girl. She hit my heart immediately.
Secretly adopted two
Parental Separation
It was in March 2018 when he met the girl for the first time.
– She lights up our lives. She will always be with us, she is loved and well cared for, Brian Zach tells People.
The night of March will forever be one of the strongest in Zach’s political career.
Kaila was seriously injured and the child welfare service picked her up that night and separated her from her biological parents. At the hospital it was discovered that he had several serious injuries.
Zach kept an eye on Kaila that night, writes Good Morning America. This was the third time the girl’s physical abuse had been reported, writes ABC News.
– When I got home that night, I told my wife about this sweet little girl we met. I felt like all I wanted was to save her and bring her home, he said.
FAMILIES: Older brother Trevin Zach, Brian Zach, Kaila and his wife Cierra. Photo: Zach Family
see more
He worked for a safe life
While she was in hospital receiving treatment, the police officer and his wife Cierra worked behind the scenes to help the little girl have a safe life.
Zach has experienced many similar cases during his career, but says this time it was different.
– When the child welfare service removes a child from a home, they always try to find a suitable home with a family member. If it’s not successful, foster homes are the next option, he says.
When the child welfare service told Zach that they were having trouble finding a suitable living situation for Kaila, the family were more than happy to help.
– What they did in our case was that they used the relationship we had the first night for what they call a fictitious relationship.
An alleged fictitious relationship is when children are placed with close family friends rather than relatives, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Children.
I had to be careful
Although Kaila quickly got to safety with Zach, Cierra, and their two children Raina (19) and Trevin (17), the family had to be careful not to cheer too soon.
While Kaila’s case was being investigated, the family had to take one day at a time.
– We quickly became very attached to her. “We would have been devastated if she had to walk away from us,” Zach told People.
The court ultimately ruled that Kaila could not return to her biological parents. According to Zach, they did not attend the court hearings and were not found qualified to care for the girl. Two years after the first meeting, they now live under the same roof.
It explains how long and demanding the process has been for Dagbladet.
– This process has given me many new experiences. It has been different living the criminal case from the other side. I’m used to sitting on the other side as a cop.
He says it was 30 long months to live in uncertainty.
– We did not know if they would allow him to stay with us or not. We enjoy every day that we get to have her with us. Fortunately, the case had a happy ending for us. Although there have been many challenges in this process, we would do it again, because it was worth it, he tells Dagbladet.
Kaila, who turns five on New Year’s Eve, was officially adopted by Zach and Cierra on August 18 this year.
– She will always be with us, and she will always feel good and will be loved.
