Putting a baby up for adoption takes courage. It is acknowledging that the child deserves a good life and doing what it takes to ensure they get it. It is admitting that you cannot provide for the child and would rather entrust them to someone who can love and care for them entirely instead of risking letting them suffer as they grow.
It is never easy. It can take its toll on one’s emotional and mental well-being.
But there is always a silver lining.
You learn, and you grow, and you take those lessons with you and use them to make life beautiful for many others. You open yourself up to incredible possibilities – like someday reuniting with your child and making up for the lost time.
This is the heartwarming story of 35-year-old Stephen Strawn and his biological mother, Stacey Faix.
Stephen is a veteran who spent years searching for his biological mother as his birth records got lost in the flood.
“I’ve looked for years. It’s been dead ends.”
Never losing hope, he continued until he learned that a new law went into effect, allowing adoptees to request their birth certificates containing the names of their birth parents.
This was the missing piece Stephen needed to complete the puzzle.
Once he had the needed information, he wasted no time and successfully found her on the 16th of April. The next day, he decided to reach out. Of course, he came up with a sweet way to go about the reunion.
Upon learning that his mother was a member of Team Red, White, and Blue (RWB), a nonprofit dedicated to enriching veterans’ lives, and was participating in a marathon, he thought of asking the help of the Pittsburgh chapter’s president. This included organizing media, clueing everyone in on the surprise, and ensuring everything was timed perfectly. The eager veteran even had to hide in a portable bathroom!
Before the surprise, he had written his biological mother a card and even stated how it had been 13,075 days since she had last seen him. Clueless on what was about to unfold on marathon day, Stacey stood there, concentrating as she read the card.
Until she looked up and her son was standing right there.
That was when tears started pouring.
Stacey and Stephen were finally able to hold each other for the first time.
The emotional mom recalled how she was only 15 years old when she gave him up for adoption.
“They didn’t want me to hold him. They didn’t recommend it. I finally got to hold him.”
They shared their first mother and son marathon that day and had a cookout after where there were more crying and endless conversations. Happy, at peace, and grateful for how everything turned out, Stephen says,
“It’s something you see in the movies. Everything was perfect. For the parents who had to give up their children for whatever reason, don’t lose hope.”
Grab a tissue and prepare to cry as you watch the video below.
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