Annie Todt says her dad became 'instant besties' with her adopted sons and moved nearby

Annie Elble Todt tells PEOPLE her father bonded instantly with the two sons she adopted through foster care — and later moved down the street so he could be near them. Todt says reunification is always the goal when you foster, and she had said goodbye to five children before taking in the boys.

Learning she could adopt them came with both heartbreak and relief, she told PEOPLE, but “our unspeakable joy” of keeping them safe outweighed the pain. Their connection was captured in a viral TikTok, and Todt says the bond was immediate, “especially with Kingston.” She says they even gave Kingston her dad’s name as his middle name because of their connection, and remembers her father soothing Kingston in a baby carrier and chanting a little song that calmed him almost every time.

Todt says her dad, who had been very busy working as the family’s sole breadwinner and a neurologist, has since become a present grandparent — reading in classrooms, cheering at swim lessons and joining hikes and kayak outings. The boys were placed with Todt when they were 3 and 4 months old and are now officially brothers forever; she says their bond is “more like twins than just siblings.” Beyond the family milestone, Todt hopes her story encourages others to consider fostering and adopting children who are often overlooked.

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