OCONOMOWOC — A Budweiser commercial is going viral this Father's Day that's shining a special light on stepfathers. In the advertisement adult step-children ask their stepfathers to adopt them. In Oconomowoc, one family has a similar story and a lot to be thankful this holiday.
Hannah doesn't remember a day, Chad Anderson wasn't in her life.
"Chad was always my dad figure, the one who made the rules and taught you how to be a person," Hannah said.
There was never a question he wasn't her father. Even back in the day before her parents were married, "dad," is all she wanted to call him.
"When we actually started dating, the older two girls were always asking at least once a week, 'can I call him dad? can I call you dad?" Hannah's mother, Kristine said.
Hannah said her biological father didn't act like a father growing up. Instead, Chad took on that role.
"He said to us that he was not marrying one woman today, he was marrying three and that we were all a family," Hannah said.
He tried to adopt her when she was 12, but her real dad would not terminate his parental rights, and when she turned 18, they didn't know if it made sense anymore.
However, last year at 25-years-old Hannah looked into the idea to see if chad could officially adopt her.
"He's always been my dad so it was never like a huge thing. It was just like let's make this official," Hannah said.
On April 30, Hannah legally became Chad's daughter.
"It was like surreal. I don't know. It felt weird doing it in front of a judge like a wedding ceremony almost, but like a family wedding," Hannah said. "It feels like to me I've always been that person, but now it's on paper, I'm Hannah Anderson."
The experience was humbling for Chad.
"Almost positive had the last 17 years not gone the way they did she wouldn't have asked me, so I hate to toot my own horn but I think that I did something right," Chad said.
