A simple DNA test helped reunite mother Lynne Moody and her daughter Lisa Wright 54 years after Lynne made the heartbreaking decision to give Lisa up for adoption. But Lisa had actually gotten to know her birth mother decades before their reunion and didn’t even know it.
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Lisa had a happy and loving childhood. But as she told Today, she always knew she was adopted. Her parents had been honest with her from the start, and she grew up curious about her biological mother.
“My [adoptive] mom told me, ‘Your mommy loved you, but she was really young, and she knew she couldn’t take care of you,” Lisa recalled. “I wanted a baby so bad. That’s why your mom let me take care of you.”
Until recently, all Lisa knew about her mother was that she was 18 when she gave birth. The adoption was closed, and for some time, she thought a search was a dead-end road.
A Quick Phone Call Led to a Prompt Reunion With Lisa and Her Birth Mother
On Lisa’s 54th birthday, her son suggested she take a simple DNA test to track down her blood relatives. The test led her to an uncle, who was able to connect her with her mother. As fate would have it, Lynne and her family had been searching for Lisa as well, and both women lived in LA.
Before setting up an in-person reunion with her birth mother, Lisa shared an emotional phone call.
“A voice on the other end says, ‘Is this my daughter?’ And then I just went, ‘Oh, my God, is this my mother?’” Lisa remembered. “And then she goes, ‘Yes, sweetie, this is your mom.’ It was just the most indescribable feeling.”
Lynne added, “I was on the floor in a fetal position, screaming and crying. I didn’t know how deep that hole was. “As a mother, you never, ever, ever forget. During those 50 years, all I did was try to learn how to live with it.”
And there is a heartwarming twist to the story. Lynne went on to become an actress, and she starred in a series called “That’s My Momma,” which happened to be one of Lisa’s favorite shows as a child.
“I grew up watching my mother on TV and didn’t even know it,” Lisa marveled. “That’s My Mama—that was our must-see TV. We all sat down and watched That’s My Mama every week, and who knew? … that’s my mama!”
“Life is full of surprises sometimes — so hang in there no matter what your circumstances are,” Lynne noted. “Be open to miracles, be open to surprises, and keep the faith.”
Watch the whole interview below.
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