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In an extraordinary turn of events, a seemingly ordinary greeting, “Hola, mamá” transformed into an emotional reunion that defied four decades of separation. The heartwarming encounter unfolded as Jimmy Lippert Thyden met his birth mother, María Angélica González, for the first time in Valdivia, Chile.

The story really began 42 years ago, when hospital workers took González’s newborn son from her arms, subsequently telling her that her son had passed away, a tale unfolding against the backdrop of a dark period in Chile’s history. Babies stolen away during the 17-year reign of General Augusto Pinochet over Chile was a common tragedy, amongst other human rights violations, including child trafficking.

While González spent the last four decades believing her son to be dead, Thyden’s own quest to find his long-lost birth family began when he stumbled upon stories of Chilean-born adoptees reuniting with their biological relatives. Armed with determination and supported by Chilean nonprofit organisation Nos Buscamos, Thyden embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of his counterfeit adoption.

Driven by his desire to uncover his roots and reconnect with his biological family, Thyden’s journey was further supported by genealogy platform MyHeritage. DNA test results confirmed Thyden’s Chilean heritage and led him to a cousin who, in turn, helped him connect with his birth mother.

The emotional reunion was caught on camera and is a (thankfully) happy ending to a gruelling journey of determination and justice. Thyden tried to describe to The Associated Press what it felt like when he saw his mom for the first time, an intense moment of love and shock:

“It knocked the wind out of me. … I was suffocated by the gravity of this moment … How do you hug someone in a way that makes up for 42 years of hugs?”

Thyden’s mother welcomed home her son with a bouquet colourful balloons, 42 in total, each representing a year since Thyden was taken from the hospital as a baby.

I’m not crying, you’re crying.

While Thyden’s reunion with his birth family was successful, he acknowledged that not all reunifications may unfold as harmoniously.

The now-reunited family has Nos Buscamos to thank, as do many other Chilean families looking for answers in light of a dark history of false adoptions and child trafficking.

The NGO has facilitated over 450 reunions between adoptees and their birth families in the past nine years. While that’s some truly inspiring work, Constanza del Río, Nos Buscamos founder, wants the world to know the terrifying truth: thousands of babies were separated from their Chilean families in the 1970s and 1980s, with many of them still searching for answers.

That being said, for now we celebrate Thyden’s story of hope and justice.

It’s one helluva family reunion.

[source:associatedpress]