Emotional Reunion: U.S. Veteran Embraces Chilean Mother After 42 Years Apart.
Valdivia, Chile: A heartwarming reunion unfolded as a U.S. veteran, Jimmy Lippert Thyden, met his Chilean birth mother, Maria Angelica Gonzalez, for the first time in 42 years.
The emotional encounter occurred in Valdivia, Chile, marking a moment of profound connection and healing for the mother and son who had been separated at birth.
Upon meeting his mother, Jimmy Lippert Thyden, known as Jimmy, expressed his love in Spanish, saying, “Hola, Mama.” The simplicity of the greeting belied the decades of longing, pain, and mystery that had kept them apart.
Maria Angelica Gonzalez’s heartache began 42 years ago when hospital staff informed her that her newborn son had died shortly after birth. In a heart-wrenching twist, she recently discovered that her son had been taken from her arms and placed for adoption. The reunion between Jimmy and Maria was an emotional embrace that transcended language, as tears flowed freely.
The journey towards this reunion started in April, as Jimmy embarked on a mission to find his birth family. His search led him to Nos Buscamos, a Chilean nonprofit dedicated to reuniting adoptees with their birth families.
Their efforts unveiled Jimmy’s origins, revealing the tragic truth of counterfeit adoptions that plagued Chilean families during the 1970s and 1980s.
Jimmy was born prematurely in Santiago, Chile’s capital, and placed in an incubator. Disturbingly, Gonzalez was falsely informed that her baby had died, and she was left in the dark about her son’s true fate. The case file, meticulously reviewed by Nos Buscamos, uncovered the truth behind Jimmy’s “counterfeit adoption.”
Nos Buscamos estimates that tens of thousands of babies were taken from their birth families during that tumultuous period. These actions were part of a more significant wave of human rights violations under the rule of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who led a military coup in 1973. Amid the political turmoil, many families suffered, and countless lives were upended.
Over the last nine years, Nos Buscamos has orchestrated over 450 reunions between adoptees and their birth families. Partnering with genealogy platform MyHeritage, Nos Buscamos employs DNA testing to facilitate these connections.
Jimmy’s DNA test confirmed his Chilean heritage, leading him to a first cousin who also used MyHeritage. The cousin’s assistance led to the discovery of Maria Angelica Gonzalez, the woman he had been searching for.
Their heartwarming reunion held an undeniable sense of empowerment. Jimmy, along with his wife and daughters, visited Chile to meet his newly found family. The emotional journey included visits to places of significance in both his adopted and birth families’ lives.
As Jimmy and Maria Angelica Gonzalez embrace their newfound connection, their story serves as a beacon of hope for others seeking to reunite with their roots.
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