FARGO – After a long journey of 11 years in foster care, 16-year-old Tianna found her forever home Thursday, Nov. 8.

“I was praying every day for this,” the teenager said standing next to her now-mother, Margo.

At the Fargodome in front of a large crowd at the 11th Annual North Dakota Heart Gallery Gala, Margo made the surprise announcement that she was adopting Tianna.

“She’s meant to be mine,” Margo said wreathed in smiles.

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The crowd of caseworkers, foster parents, photographers, adoption advocates and prospective parents erupted into tears and applause as the mother and daughter embraced.

Margo placed a sash embellished with Tianna’s new last name around the teenager, who wiped away tears while cradling a bouquet of pink and yellow carnations.

“I’m finally home,” Tianna said.

Each year in recognition of National Adoption Month, the local non-profit organization, Heart Gallery, hosts the gala to find adoptive families for foster children in the area.

The Heart Gallery recruits volunteer photographers to capture personalities of children who are treated to a shopping experience in which they pick out a new outfit to be photographed in. Clothing and a memory book of photos are funded by private donations.

The highlight of the gala is portrait unveilings. This year, there were 14 children featured in beautiful photographs paired with a biographical statement, though last names are kept private for legal and safety concerns.

Since the first gala in 2007, the Heart Gallery has served more than 235 children. Nearly half have a forever family now, like Tianna.

“Adoption builds families,” Margo said. “I can’t see her going anywhere else.”

Margo did respite care with Tianna, a 10th-grader at West Fargo High School, for three years. She decided during last year’s gala that she would follow her heart and start the adoption process with Tianna, but she kept it a secret.

The look of complete surprise and joy was written all over Tianna's face Thursday evening. "I had no clue," she said.

Back in the 1970s, Margo said a palm reader told her that she would have five children. She didn’t much believe it.

But fast forward to 2018, Margo has two biological sons in their 30s and two adopted daughters in their late-20s. Tianna makes five.

The two will celebrate their upcoming birthdays together – Margo’s is Nov. 22 and Tianna’s is just five days later – as well as holidays with the whole family.

Tanaeya, who found her forever home through the Heart Gallery a few years ago, shared at the gala what adoption means to her. Like spending Christmas together and wearing matching pajamas with her siblings. She said adoption is consistency, security and guidance.

“It’s given me a future,” Tanaeya said.

Before being adopted by her mother, Jessica, she said she probably would have never graduated from high school. Instead, they filled out college applications together.

It was hard learning to trust again, but Tanaeya said that love “took down all the walls.”

Jessica said to those foster children at the gala “You were created perfectly… never lose hope.” And her advice to parents considering adoption: “Do it.”

“These children deserve to be loved no matter what,” she said.