Friendship is one of the greatest parts of life.
Good friends can be separated by distance and still reconnect as though nothing has ever changed.
This story, in particular, is a story of friendship. It details how two orphans, initially brought together by circumstance, were later reunited by the power of fate.
Hannah had lived in a Chinese orphanage before being adopted by the Sykes family in Plano, Texas.
Sharon Sykes, Hannah’s adoptive mother, fell in love with the little girl and worked hard to bring her home.
One night, while Sharon was browsing through Hannah’s adoption information, something caught her eye.
In every single photo of Hannah, she was accompanied by a little boy
Sharon soon learned the two friends were inseparable at the orphanage.
They even shared a foster mother on weekends and referred to each other as brother and sister.
“When we went to the actual orphanage to get her, she was hugging him and they were giving each other kisses,” Sharon told Inside Edition. “That was her little friend, how could I leave him there?”
In an interview with Good Morning America (obtained via ABC News), she said:
“They just shared such a sweet and special bond.”
“They were so close we just couldn’t imagine leaving him in China and him not having a forever family himself.”
After seeing Hannah and the little boy’s strong friendship, Sharon couldn’t get him out of her mind.
She immediately started sharing his story on social media in hopes of finding him a home.
“Once we met him and saw the interaction in the orphanage, it was heartbreaking,” she told HLN (via CNN). “I didn’t sleep that whole night, thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to find him a family.” Sharon worked hard sharing the little boy’s story. To her surprise, when Amy Clary, a local mother, caught wind of the news, she immediately expressed interest in adopting him. “Look at his eyes and his smile,” Amy told ABC News.
“How could you deny that? He’s just so sweet. We had to bring him home.”
Sharon’s husband later told CNN:
“I couldn’t believe how quick it happened, and Sharon, I give my beautiful wife here a lot of credit because she really spent a lot of time and used social media as an outlet to find the little guy a home,”
The adoption process was complicated.
But nearly one year later, just weeks before Hannah’s fourth birthday, she reunited with her best friend at the Dallas Fort-Worth airport.
Hannah was overjoyed to see Dawson (as he had been named by the Clarys). In an interview with KTVT, Amy said:
“They must have hugged 400 times! They kept hugging and getting so giddy that they would fall over.”
The adorable, pint-sized reunion was captured on film by Sharon. She later shared the adorable footage online, where it immediately went viral.
Now, Hannah and Dawson live five minutes apart.
Although they don’t attend the same school, the families organize play dates to ensure they get their quality time together.
After everything happened, Sharon told Inside Edition: “My heart just burst into joy. It’s a miracle. He’s adopted by such a great family that lives so close to us, and Hannah gets to have him as a little friend. I’m overjoyed.”
“Every since we’ve met the Clarys, we’re now like best friends.”
“(Hannah and Dawson will be seeing each other on a regular basis— at least weekly, if not more.”
Watch the heartwarming story below!
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