Two sist?rs w?r? giv?n th? gift of a lif?tim? wh?n th?y finally m?t th?ir moth?r aft?r four d?cad?s apart. Th? r?union was mad? possibl? thanks to a sp?cial photograph.
In 2017 th? world witn?ss?d a sp?cial r?union b?tw??n a moth?r and h?r daught?rs. Starla M?dlock and J?anni? Toom? had long?d to r?conn?ct with th?ir mom for y?ars. Th?ir par?nts divorc?d wh?n th?y w?r? kids, and th?ir fath?r got sol? custody.
Th?ir mom liv?d in ?ngland whil? th?y mov?d to th? Stat?s with th?ir v?t?ran fath?r. Mom Lani Szarmach bid far?w?ll to h?r babi?s, who w?r? on? and two y?ars old at th? tim?.
LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH
M?dlock r?v?al?d that th?ir fath?r n?v?r badmouth?d th?ir mom. Th?y oft?n ask?d him about h?r, and h? always told th?m sh? was a Thai woman that couldn’t sp?ak ?nglish. Th? girls continu?d to wond?r about h?r.
Toom? said: “H? was trying to prot?ct us, or h? was scar?d h? was going to los? his baby girls. Th?y always say th?r? ar? thr?? sid?s to th? story. His sid?, h?r sid?, and th? truth.” Th?y struggl?d to find th? truth—and th?ir mom.
TH? LIFE-CHANGING FACEBOOK MESSAGE
Th? sist?rs ?xhaust?d various s?arch options to track down th?ir mom, but th?y w?r? unsucc?ssful. Th?y w?r? r?ady to acc?pt that th?y would n?v?r m??t h?r. How?v?r, on? day M?dlock r?c?iv?d a Fac?book m?ssag? that would chang? h?r lif?.
Th? m?ssag? was from a man call?d Mark Szarmach. H? r?sid?d in Pu?blo, Colorado, and was marri?d to th?ir mom. M?dlock couldn’t b?li?v? h?r ?y?s. Th? man had attach?d family photos to prov? what h? was saying.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Szarmach shar?d that his wif? “oft?n cri?d h?rs?lf to sl??p.” H? want?d to h?lp h?r and manag?d to find h?r ?x-husband’s obituary onlin?. From th?r?, h? found on? of th? sist?rs on Fac?book.
Sh? had upload?d a baby pictur? of h?rs?lf and h?r sist?r. Szarmach had s??n th? photo b?for? b?caus? his wif? had a copy of it. Aft?r that, conn?cting th? dots b?cam? ?asi?r, and th? sist?rs w?r? thrill?d wh?n h? r?ach?d out to th?m.
THE EMOTIONAL REUNION
Szarmach and his wif? fl?w to Kansas as th? siblings await?d th?ir mom’s arrival at th? airport. Th?y w?r? n?rvous. How?v?r, wh?n th?y saw th?ir moth?r, th?y w?r? ov?rcom? with joy and lov?. Th?y cri?d and hugg?d ?ach oth?r out of pur? gratitud?. Toom? ?xpr?ss?d:
“I f?lt lik? that pi?c? in my h?art was just filling up. It was no long?r a void th?r?.”
DON’T GIVE UP HOPE
Th? moth?r want?d to mak? up for th? lost tim? and couldn’t wait to pr?par? som? Thai m?als for h?r girls. Toom? add?d: “Miracl?s do happ?n. Th?y truly do happ?n. Don’t giv? up hop?.”
Th? family hop?s th?ir story will ?ncourag? oth?rs to k??p looking for th?ir long-lost lov?d on?s. Whil? it might tak? som? tim?, th? r?union will b? worth it.
