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A Taranaki woman has won her long battle to adopt a Romanian boy, with documents finally stamped "irrevocable and definitive".
Iani Linguar, 8, has been in the care of New Plymouth nurse Alana Cleland for about five years, but in March last year she was forced to return him to Romania.
The pair have since remained there, fighting for Ms Cleland's custody arrangement to be upgraded to adoption.
The Taranaki Daily News reported that Miss Cleland said from Romania last night the adoption papers had finally came through at the weekend.
She said she and Iani were both very excited.
The next step is to apply for Iani's birth certificate and new Romanian passport.
It should be a simple process, Ms Cleland said. "Within two weeks we should be in London."
There Miss Cleland will apply for New Zealand citizenship for Iani, which could take several months.
Ms Cleland first came into contact with Iani while she was on her OE. She formed a bond with the little Romanian baby and could not leave him.
- NZPA
