Stephanie (M) met Mark (F) and went steady. Two years later M was pregnant, and F suggested an abortion, but finally, adoption was agreed upon. F was not a good expecting father and was eventually arrested for aggravated assaults against M and on M's 16th birthday attempted to kill himself. F decided that maybe he should get his life in order and as part of that process decided not to give the child up for adoption. About 3 weeks after the birth F found an attorney willing to take his case and then proceeded to ask for custody of the child. A petition was filed to terminate F's status, and F filed a petition to establish a father-child relationship. The court determined that F was not the presumed father and that it would be in the child's best interests to be adopted by John and Margaret, the couple that M had chosen. M appealed.

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