Years before Amaya Hermann was adopted, Mariska Hargitay went through a painful experience in which a mother who was to give her child to the actress changed her mind.

However, after an African-American mother entrusted the actress with her child, she became a doting mom to the sweet little girl. She now feels blessed to have her multiracial family.

Mariska Hargitay, 59, is an accomplished actress widely known for starring in the popular series “Law & Order.” Outside of her career, she is a doting wife to fellow actor Peter Hermann, 55, and a beloved mother of three, August, Andrew, and Amaya Josephine Hermann. Typically, the actress keeps her family life private and prefers her children to remain out of the limelight.

However, on July 1, a close friend of the actress took to Instagram to post two pictures of her hanging out with Mariska Hargitay and a few members of the star’s family at the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant. The first picture showed the friend and actress posing together and smiling. The second picture showed Mariska Hargitay, her husband, one of her sons, and her daughter Amaya, who just turned 12 years old this year, cuddled together.

The first time Hargitay became a mother, she was 42 years old. An age that falls within a medical category that denotes a heightened risk of experiencing pregnancy complications. She gave birth to her firstborn son, August, and a few years later, at her son’s request and as a result of both her and her spouse’s desire to have a big family, talks of another baby coming into the family began.

After deciding to take the adoption route, the couple began to explore their options with adoption agencies. They found what Hargitay described as a fantastic intuitive adoption lawyer who helped them embark on their journey.

The family grew one more time with the addition of baby Andrew, who was a surprise.

The adoption proceedings included a mandatory comprehensive five-hour house visit, and the overall process was not always easy on the couple, as they had to endure a lot of false starts. Hargitay disclosed:

“There were several cases that didn’t work out. A lot of different kinds of complications.”

However, a small glimmer of hope came sometime after patiently waiting and enduring the various rounds of visitations and letdowns. The hopeful parents caught word of a young pregnant woman who was set to give birth to a baby girl, which ideally suited Hargitay’s dream of having a daughter one day.

This case was approximately the third time they had attempted to adopt and extend their family, so naturally, the “Leaving Las Vegas” talent tried her best not to get her hopes up. Nevertheless, as soon as she met the mom-to-be, she couldn’t help but be excited, as she described the mother as bright, incredible, and intelligent.