Created: 7/22/2009 5:59:31 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- For one First Coast teen, an afternoon in the Duval County Courthouse provided the best change in his young life.
Aaron Cooper, 17, sat anxiously in a packed courtroom for the adventure he'd dreamed about for years. You see, for ten years, "Coop" as he's known to friends, has been a foster child through several homes.
But today, before the judge who guided him from the age of seven, that all changed.
In a few magical moments and with the stroke of a judge's pen, "Coop" became the son of Wayne and Deborah Norman.
"What we are doing is grafting a branch onto a family tree," said the Honorable David Gooding. "If we can change enough trees by grafting more branches on --we can change the way the whole forest looks!"
"Congratulations!"
And as the hugs, handshakes and pictures continued, a young man with dreams of the Air Force, college and perhaps becoming a police officer or lawyer, is living the biggest dream of all...his new family.
"Right now, I have five brothers, and five or six sisters!" beamed Cooper. "I'm happy! I'm completely excited!"
This day was about adoptions here in Northeast Florida and across the state, and it was about a campaign promise made by Governor Charlie Crist.
"The notion that we ought to have more adoptions in Florida simply because it's the right thing to do," said the Governor.
"We're proud to state that Florida has recorded 3,776 adoptions. More than a hundred more than the record breaking number last year!"
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