We’ve all seen the social media posts of families searching for long lost loved ones; but how often do we truly hear of the fairytale ending that sees children reunited with their birth parents years after searching?
What began as a leap of faith and a long shot on Face-book, ended in the reconnection of a mother and daughter, who un-beknownst to each other, had been hoping to find each other for years.
Earlier this month, local woman Deann Baker posted the only photo she had of her baby girl who she gave up for adoption in 1985 and turned to the public for help in finding her.
“I was a product of the era I grew up in,” Baker said, “I didn’t want to give my daughter up but because I was only 15-years old at the time it wasn’t my choice.”
Baker said she never stopped loving her child she was forced to give up and always wanted to find her.
“This pic is all I have left,” the Face-book post read, “I am this little girl mom. I gave birth to her on Au-gust 29, 1985, in Paris, Texas. My parents made me put her up for adoption and I’ve been trying to find her since she turned 18. If any-one knows this pic or maybe even in a thousand chances it could be you…I always wanted you. You are my one and only child.”
Within a matter of days, Baker received a message on Facebook from a friend who said she may have found her daughter.
“It was a surprise for sure, but it was also exciting to think I may have found her,” Baker explained.
The mother and daughter first connected through Facebook messenger and have since started re-connecting the dots.
“My parents had always told me I was adopted since I was little and I’ve always been curious about what she looked like and who she was,” said Leah, Baker’s birth daughter who lives in Vermont.
“About four months ago my mom and stepfather had bought me an ancestry DNA kit to try help me find her but all it showed was a cousin.”
In an incredible twist of fate, the photograph was the only piece of history either of them had from when Leah was a baby and ultimately, brought them back together.
“When Deann sent the photo through, I showed it to my dad and he said straight away, with-out hesitation, that it was me. There was no doubt in any of our minds that we had found each other,” Leah said.
“This is a dream come true,” Baker said, “I don’t have much family left and she is my only child, so to be able to have connected and to start building a relationship is something I hold very dear to my heart.”
In today’s day and age, the likelihood of connecting birth parents to their children is some-thing becoming more and more common thanks to social media and DNA kits such as 23 and Me.
However, it is still an old school process for the side who reaches out first, and the anticipation of not knowing if the other wants to connect.
For both women, it is clear that they are taking this as it has presented itself, a blessing to know each other and learn how life has been.
Baker says she knows that her daughter, who she has missed every day since giving her up, has had a wonderfully successful and loving life; a want and dream for any parent.
For Leah, she now has a connection to her roots and heritage that she has never had before.
“I’m just happy that Deann and I have been able to reconnect and build a relationship that we’ve both missed from the beginning for all these years.”
Leah said her parents and fam-ily, including her three daughters, have been very supportive throughout the whole process, which she is very grateful for.
“This is just the beginning and such a huge blessing to both of us. Now we have the rest of our lives to get to know each other,” she added.
While Leah didn’t know much of her birth parents, until now, she hopes that one day she can meet her birth father to learn more about him.
“My birth mother and father aren’t together anymore but I have heard he is still in the Paris area. If he wants to contact me he can if not then that’s ok too.
Until such time, she will relish in the gift presented to her and enjoy the road that she is now on with Baker knowing that moving forward there is plenty to learn and love.
“We can’t take back the past, but we can build a future. We can create memories and I hope that one day we can shorten the distance between us and finally meet in person,” Baker said.
An off-chance Facebook post and a few prayers has ended in happiness for two women who are excited about extending their families and learning more about each other and their lives.
“I never gave up, and to connect with my daughter knowing she has had a wonderful happy, healthy life brings me so much peace that I can’t wait for the day I can hopefully give her a hug,” Baker said.
