Stepfather overwhelmed with joy as daughter calls him 'Dad' for the first time: 'Made my heart melt'

Family is not solely defined by bloodlines. The foundation of a true familial bond lies in love and even biological ties cannot compensate for its absence. This sentiment is beautifully exemplified by Shane, whose unwavering commitment and love for his stepdaughter, London, make him every bit a father, despite lacking a biological connection. The viral YouTube video where London finally calls him 'Dad' shows the importance they have attached to the relationship. London has always seen Shane as a father figure, as her real father abandoned her twice.

Lianna and Shane have a popular YouTube channel where they show their regular shenanigans as a family of four. They mostly focus on prank videos but the video uploaded on August 2020 had an emotional touch to it. It was already planned by Lianna and London. They fixed a camera in the car to record Shane's reaction to the word 'Dad.'

The video began with a snippet of the moment while London addresses Shane as 'Dad.' After the introduction reel, Lianna and London started talking about the excitement in the latter to call Shane the word 'Dad.' Then, they provided some context as to how things had reached there. London explained how she met her biological father at the age of five. Unfortunately, he went out of the picture, at first because of being in jail and then because of moving into another town.

London further explained that her stepfather had been with her since she was two years, but this was the first time she was going to call him Dad. It was a huge step for everyone in the family. Lianna informed everyone that till now, London had addressed Shane as a 'best friend.' Lianna was happy for both of them and could not wait for this moment. The whole exchange also went through smoothly. Shane entered the car and London asked him, "Hi, Dad, how was your day?"

It had a lot of emotional effect on Shane as he began to get choked up, putting his hand over his heart. He says, "Just made my heart melt to know she called me Dad." Thereafter, he addressed London directly and told her how much he loved her and that she called him 'dad' made his day. In two years, the video has garnered 18 million views.

The comment section of the video was filled with stories and appreciation for the bond. @brandonbarney9869 appreciated Shane and wrote, "He's not a stepfather. He's a father who stepped up. Man this right here, I don't even have the words. It's something about a father/daughter relationship. Shoutout to all the stepfathers, especially for taking care and loving on the kids they didn't naturally birth. It takes a real man to do that. Big props to you, Shane."

@gatweet1 points out her favorite part of the video and commented, "Shane's emotional response to his daughter calling him dad was just perfect and then the father/daughter talk afterward was something she will always hold dear to her heart."