Teen Who Lost Father at 3 Shares How Mom’s Husband ‘Stepped In’ Aged 26

A woman from Buenos Aires is considering herself lucky after a man from Germany eventually became her “papa.”

In a TikTok slideshow, Anna Vidal Miceli Pohl shared how her stepfather filled a role she wasn’t sure she wanted, but who ultimately “stepped in” to become the father she needed.

Pohl’s biological father died in 2009 when she was just three years old. Her mother, left to navigate life as a single parent at just 25, met Marc, then 26. When the two first met at an art exhibition, Pohl was skeptical about the idea of a new father figure.

“To me, he was just a random guy who couldn’t speak the same language as me, but as the hours went by, I noticed how fun he was,” the 19-year-old told Newsweek.

Pohl said that the family still has pictures from that day and sees it has her first “core memory” with Marc. As the relationship between her mother and Marc blossomed, so did Pohl’s bond with her future stepfather.

Her mother announced she wanted to marry Marc and Pohl grappled with her own emotions. Conflicted about what to call him, she eventually mustered the courage to ask if she could call him dad. “He treated me like his own child. I felt the love he undeniably had for me so of course he eventually became my new papa,” Pohl said.

Their marriage marked the beginning of a new chapter for the family, culminating in a move from Argentina to Germany. Recalling the move, Pohl said how it was both thrilling and overwhelming. At just four years old, she had already experienced immense change in her short life.

“There were a lot of changes happening in a span of a few months—my father dying, moving a lot, meeting Marc/papa, the engagement, the marriage—but as I also showed in my TikTok, my parents did everything in their power to make me feel comfortable and safe in this new space,” she said.

Over the years, Marc continued to be a consistent, loving presence in Pohl’s life. He made birthday cakes, attended her graduation, and takes countless 0.5x photos—an inside joke between father and teenage daughter.

When Pohl’s longtime wish for a sibling finally came true, with the arrival of her baby brother, she knew Marc had truly become her dad in every sense of the word.

“He is the man who raised me, the one who loved me unconditionally. And that love will forever be reciprocated,” she said.

Pohl’s slideshow went completely viral on TikTok, amassing almost 12 million views over the course of a few weeks. The 19-year-old found it hard to believe that so many people had viewed her video.

Thousands of other social media left comments sharing similar stories of blended families and step-parents who filled crucial roles. “It’s really crazy to me but I feel really grateful because I know how lucky and privileged I am to have grown up with two so loving and cool parents,” she told Newsweek. Marc officially adopted Pohl in 2023.