Our Members - Their MyLife Success Stories |
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| 30 Years Later, Best Friends Reunite |
 Tracy was tight with Kelley and Janet Marie in high school in Edmond, OK. She and Kelley were inseparable, cruising the boulevards, double dating, skipping school (and getting in trouble for it!), working at the same hospital and sharing wardrobes – as well as their hopes and dreams for the future. And Janet Marie – they'd shared classes, made costumes for the French Club, choreographed dance steps, giggled, cried, planned to attend college together.
Tracy thought she'd stay in touch with her friends forever. But after graduating, they went their separate ways, and the thread was broken.
For years Tracy searched for her buds, inspired by her father, who stressed the importance of keeping in touch with good people and old friends. But after sifting through search engines and public records, she was ready to give up. Then she discovered MyLife.com -- and lo and behold, Kelley was a member!
"I was so excited," Tracy recalls. "At last, I had found her -- at last!" Tracy joined MyLife.com immediately and sent a message, and within hours the two were talking "as if we had never been apart -- and it had been 29 years!"
But what about Janet Marie? After so long, Tracy feared she'd never find her. Then one day as she checked her class list about their upcoming reunion, she spotted Janet as a new member and leapt for joy. And when Janet Marie instantly responded to Tracy's message, the two excitedly planned to meet at the reunion.
"We picked up right where we left off 30 years ago, talking 90 to nothing trying to catch up on all those years. Our husbands watched in stunned silence, unable to get a word in edgewise – though they didn't seem to mind too much."
That same evening, she and Kelley also reconnected and picked right up as well.
"The reunion -- what a blast! It was wonderful seeing former classmates, but I am most happy to have found Kelley and Janet Marie. They are each amazing women who I am so proud to call my friends."
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| Mary & Tony: A Whirlwind Romance … 25 Years later! |
 Mary met Tony in junior high in Tennessee, she was "head over heels" for him. They dated for a while, but then he moved away – gone from one day to the next -- and she never heard from him again.
Then, 25 years later, in February 2006, Mary was using People Search to look for old school friends – and that very special first love. When his name came up, Mary emailed him asking if he was the same Tony, and he soon emailed her back that he was – and that he'd been looking for her, too.
Both of them had been married, and both had a boy and a girl the same ages. Tony had been in the military the whole time, while Mary had "just lived a normal boring life working in the mills."
Well, that was about to change.
At Tony's invitation Mary flew from her home in Georgia to Texas, where Tony was in the air force. It was her first plane ride, which scared the daylights out of her but was "well worth it."
Once they were reunited, the spark was rekindled for good -- and within a few weeks (yes, weeks!) they were married.
A year later, when Tony retired from the military, they resettled in Georgia.
"If it wasn't for MyLife, I never would have found him," claims Mary. "We are so happy and making lots of plans. Tony's starting his new life with the woman (me) he's always dreamed of being with. We're going to buy a house with a bit of land with it and have a great life together. I can't wait!"
August 2007
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| The Band Plays On - Buds from '67 Reunited |
 Four high school buddies in North Kingston, RI, had a great rock'n'roll band with a tight sound that was in demand at dances and clubs in the late '60s. The group's name changed a few times – Billy and the Kids, Foua ova Kinde, Hindenberg Disaster — but they were getting paid to do what they loved to do, and life was beautiful. "Music," lead guitarist Jim recalls, "was the most important thing in our young minds."
Then rhythm guitarist Corky, Jim's best friend, followed his family to Alaska. The band broke up, and the guys moved on and lost touch.
As years passed, Jim persisted in searching for his buddy, but it wasn't until he finally typed in Corky's nickname that his MyLife.com People Search came up with a match — and the gold.
"I sat there reading that email with tears in my eyes, Jim admits. "40 years of searching, happily ended. Now we're ready to start the second half of our lives."
With the group finally all back in touch, Jim, Corky, and other members Billy and Mickey are trying to find a way to rehearse over the internet and reacquaint themselves musically -- before they reunite in person for a rockin' reunion jam session around New Year's Eve 2007.
"Now we're like kids again. What the heck, it's only been 40 years!"
July 2007
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| Linda & Julie: Mother-Daughter Reunion |
32 years ago, Linda had a beautiful baby girl she could not care for and whom she gave up for adoption. She never forgot about her daughter and only hoped she had had a good life and was doing well.
Linda married several years later and had another little girl, Amy.
Then, about a year ago, Linda seriously started searching for her lost daughter. She joined an online group where someone suggested she register with MyLife.com . Linda did just that, and the next day she received a Who's Searching for You email telling her that someone had done a search on her name — a 32-yr-old female from nearby Michigan. Linda, stunned, thought, Could it possibly be the beautiful baby I gave up 32 years ago?!
A quick email exchange confirmed that yes, it was indeed her daughter, now named Julie and happily married, and within a month (with many emails in between), Linda traveled to meet her, accompanied by 24-year-old Amy — "who always wanted a sister and now has one!"
"It was wonderful!" Linda recounts. "We had a very nice reunion that weekend, and I'm sure it will be a long happy relationship for the two of us. Thank you!!"
June 2007
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| Gamelie & Manuel -- Brother & Sis, 26 Years Later |
Gamelie was not quite 18 and her brother 12 when they lost their parents. Little Manuel was sent to a foster family that soon forbade contact between the siblings and eventually told Manuel his sister was dead. But they were both still in Tampa and they did not know it.
Manuel came of age, and after some tough times and positive direction from a helpful preacher, he relocated from Florida to California and started a new life and family of his own. But even his marriage and eight wonderful kids could not fill the emptiness in his heart about his sister. His wife, who knew how badly Manuel longed for his family and how tormented he was not knowing if Gamelie was really dead, urged him to sign on with MyLife.com.
Meanwhile, Gamelie, who now had a 13-year-old son of her own, never gave up her search for her brother. Robert, her boyfriend of nine years, joined her search, using other websites and even a PI. But it wasn't until he typed in Gamelie's name in a Who's Searching for You pop-up that he hit paydirt and found her brother.
Gamelie and Robert flew Manuel and his 12-year-old son to Orlando for an emotional reunion, with lots of "hugging and crying" and catching up. Manuel and his family now hope to be able to relocate to Florida and settle as close to Gamelie as possible. "Thank you," Gamelie tells us, "for completing a puzzle that was missing a piece in each heart….It has been a long and painful journey, but by the grace of God we have finally come together, a family again."
June 2007
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| Betty & Her Buds, Great Friends – in Sickness & Health
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When Betty searched MyLife.com's Class Lists, she not only found her alma mater, St. Mary's, but
also her old school chum Cheryl listed there. She posted a note, not knowing what it would bring, and before
long Cheryl was back in touch, along with two more of their classmates.
The girls had had a great time in high school – Betty remembers they'd take off and drive for
shrimp basket snacks after school. While they continued to study, marry, and have children,
they kept in touch, even when Betty relocated from Massachusetts to Puerto Rico. But when
Betty's parents moved and she no longer visited her home town, she drifted apart from her friends.
Betty beat cancer in 2003, but when it returned in 2006, "in my long hours at night
meditating I thought it would be so nice to reconnect with my dear friends." And Cheryl's
response to Betty's message on the St Mary's Class List was so full of joy "it felt like I
was looking at her. She wanted to know all about me." When Cheryl learned of Betty's illness,
she and their mutual St Mary's friend Lynda determined to waste no more time – they booked a
trip to Puerto Rico and called to tell Betty they were coming. "Cheryl's voice and our
conversation were as if time had not passed at all," recalls Betty. It had been at least
24 years since they had last seen each other.
"It is almost impossible," Betty says, "to describe the joy their visit brought to my life.
It was the best medicine I could have received before my upcoming chemo treatment … a dream
come true. In the late hours of the night I sit back and recall each wonderful detail of our
visit and think of them and their children and grandchildren. We are connected again, and it
has made the world of difference in my health, physically and mentally."
They now all communicate "all the time," Betty says, and she has made plans with her husband
and all her children to visit them. "I am thankful for the day I visited the site."
April 2007
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| Cathie & Marce - Good Neighbors, Great Friends
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Cathie and Marce lived across the street from each other in San Diego when they were in junior high school, and after their mothers became friends the girls followed suit – they snacked on jerky, talked on can phones connected by string, went roller skating, chatted about boys, hung out on the beach, and planned which Beatle they would marry. They were there for each other through some difficult growing-up years and family problems.
Cathie and Marce lost contact when they were 16, then both married and went their separate ways. Nearly 40 years later, Marce joined MyLife.com and logged on regularly to see if any familiar names came up. Then came an email from Cathie, asking if she was the same Marce from across the street -- and in no time the friends picked up from where they'd left off and have continued since. "We jump from the past to the present in a heartbeat," marvels Marce. "Just like when we were teenagers, we have become a support system for each other."
After corresponding for over a year, Cathie (back in San Diego) and Marce (who's now in Montana) finally reunited in Palm Springs. "We had a great time!" reports Cathie. "We ate ... talked ... ate … talked." But instead of boys, Marce says, "we talked about our children and grandchildren."
"We relived many great times, funny times, and of course sad times growing up," Cathie adds. "We plan on getting together in the future for a Women of Faith Event, and I'll visit her in Montana. Even after all the years that have passed, Marce is still that young girl I remember who lived across the street from me. Time doesn't erase the good stuff. Thank you, MyLife.com!"
March 2007
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| David & Elaine - Beloved Long-Lost Nephew Found
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When Elaine Vera was 18, her sister's toddler disappeared with his father, and for the next 22 years the family was unable to find him. But they never forgot little David, who unbeknownst to them had ended up in foster care. Finally, Elaine used People Search and heard from David's foster family, who helped her track her nephew down.
A few days before Christmas, Elaine left a message for David at work, and when he called her back shortly thereafter, they talked for an hour -- and set up a hasty reunion for that very same night! Elaine had four short, exciting hours to phone the rest of her family to alert them, plus "clean house, get some food put together, and get dressed." By 7:00 that evening she had David's mother, brother, sister, four aunts, two uncles, and six cousins assembled with open arms to greet their boy – now a college graduate -- who came with seven of his own foster family members!
"It was a Christmas to remember and treasure always," says Elaine, and it turned out so well that David returned for another visit by himself on New Year's morning. "He has given us a second chance -- having him with us again is a dream come true ... like I just hit the jackpot, but worth much more. Thanks a million, MyLife. You've made a big difference in my life and made it the best Christmas ever and a lot of happy new years to come for the whole family."
December 2006
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| Denise & Shannon - High School Sweethearts Reunited After 24 Years |
 High school sweethearts Denise and Shannon dated for two years before deciding to marry. But their lives changed dramatically when Shannon joined the military, and their relationship ended. They married other people and lost touch. Eventually those marriages dissolved … but not their love for each other.
Denise had always wondered what happened to her long-lost love. One day, 24 years after they last saw each other, she looked for him on MyLife.com – and to her elation, found him. She emailed a simple hello, and in only a few hours he wrote back!
"I sat at my computer and just cried. Shannon had not only remembered me but could tell me everything about our lives so many years ago."
They agreed to meet for coffee. "After 4 hours we still had lots to talk about, so we had lunch and talked for another 3 hours," Denise recalls. But she wasn't surprised they both still had strong feelings for each other. "Who ever forgets their first love?"
The relationship started all over again. "We have seen each other every week since that day in August 2006," Denise recounts. "We talk every day ... Our current families get along very well; he adores my children and they adore him. Our hope is to never loose touch again … or even better. August 2006
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Photo Reunites Best Buds After 20 Years
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 After growing up in Las Vegas, Kevin, now 34 from McKinney, Tex., began searching for old friends to find out where life had taken them and to reconnect. In particular, he wanted to find his best bud, Troy, now 33, of Murphy, Tex.
Kevin and Troy spent the summers together as kids, playing in their neighborhood until Troy's family packed up and moved. Not until Kevin found Troy's name using MyLife.com's People Search did he find out that Troy was living only 5 miles from where he worked. The two caught up on 20-plus years of memories and new stories of their own new families, becoming best friends once again.
Having seen a new car photo sent by Kevin, Troy recognized the personalized plate one day in traffic. To their mutual surprise, they reunited in person, right there on the highway!
"Shortly after we reunited, we formed a softball team on a local league," wrote Troy. "After twenty years of no contact, we found ourselves playing in the dirt together as if only a couple days had passed by."
"We are still catching up, reuniting at backyard barbeques, double-dates with our wives, and I even attended Troy's family reunion," Kevin says. August 2006
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MyLife.com Newlyweds!
Congratulations to David & Tonja
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 Despite years of searching, David was unable to locate his lost high school sweetheart -- until he came to MyLife.com.
After David conducted a People Search, Tonja received a Who's Searching for You? notification stating that he was looking for her. When David mentioned a heart-shaped diamond necklace that he had given her for Christmas, she immediately knew she was responding to the man she had fallen in love with more than 20 years before.
The two reconnected in February 2006, and after only one night realized they were meant to be together. "After 20 years, our love is just as strong," says Tonja. "We love each other more now than we did back then."
David and Tonja wed in Illinois on July 15, 2006, and now live in Marysville, Ohio. July 2006
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| Viva Las Vegas |
 Prom dates Stephanie and Marcus were inseparable in high school in Houston but eventually lost touch when both headed off to college.
They each married and divorced, and then 10 years after their last contact, Marcus decided to search for Stephanie at MyLife.com.
Upon finding her profile with People Search, Marcus immediately sent Stephanie an email. "Steph, is it really you? -- Marcus."
Shortly after, the two reconnected and sparks flew. They married in an Elvis-inspired wedding in Las Vegas, July 1, 2006.
Said Stephanie, "I always believed this happened only in storybooks". July 2006 |
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| Army Buddies Reunited! |
 MyLife.com's People Search reunites these three army buddies in a snap!
During military training at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, in the early '80s, fast friends Maria, Cheryl, and Avis -- the "three blond musketeers" -- were nearly inseparable. But then they were stationed to different parts of the world, and once they had left the military they lost all contact with each other.
Eventually, Cheryl managed to relocate her friend Avis back in their home state of Pennsylvania, but there was no sign of Maria.
 Unwilling to let such a great friendship pass and after years of searching, Cheryl finally visited MyLife.com, and with a quick People Search found Maria's profile! She posted a message, and soon the three musketeers were back in touch.
A few months later they all got back together when Avis and Cheryl drove to North Carolina to visit Maria and spend the weekend with her. "We caught up on each others' lives and reminisced about old times," Cheryl recounts. "Took a few pictures too. It was great to see Maria and be together again. Our work schedules have hampered our attempts to get together again. But thanks to MyLife.com we at least now have the chance to speak to each other and keep in touch."
June, 2006 (Updated May, 2007)
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| Childhood Friends Reunited After 54 Years |
 When Linda added her photo to her MyLife.com profile, she had no idea that it would change her life.
Fifty-four years ago, Linda lived in Wisconsin across the street from her best childhood friend, Reba. For years they were inseparable, spending hours together every day playing softball, football, and other games they invented. Unfortunately, after Reba's family moved away when she was only 12, the friends lost touch.
Recently, Reba performed a People Search for Linda on MyLife.com and discovered her profile photo and instantly knew it was Linda. Soon after, Linda received the first phone call from her best friend in over 54 years. "I started screaming It's Reba! Iit's Reba!… I could hardly talk," remembers Linda.
Amazingly, they now live only 12 miles from each other in Florida.
"You can't believe how it feels to have someone you cared about so much walk into your life after so many years," says Linda. "Thank you, MyLife.com, for really putting us in touch with each other again." April 2006
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| Best Friends Together After 30 Years |
 If it weren't for her profile information, Nannette may have lost Angie forever.
Throughout high school, Nannette, now 54, and Angie, now 55, were inseparable. In college, Angie and her boyfriend introduced Nannette to her first husband. The two young couples then moved to Orange County, CA.
Sadly, the friends lost touch after Nannette and her husband divorced and Angie and hers moved away. Nannette eventually remarried and moved several times over the following years, completely losing track of Angie in the process.
Recently, a mutual friend of the two noticed Nannette's profile while visiting MyLife.com and put the long-lost friends—both living in Las Vegas—in contact for the first time in 30 years.
Nanette and Angie have now picked up right where they left off and are inseparable once again! April 2006 |
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| Getting Married After 26 Years Apart |
 Timothy and Denise dated throughout their freshman year in high school, but the young couple parted ways and lost touch eventually. Twenty-six years later, still dreaming about his lost love, Timothy conducted a MyLife.com People Search for Denise. Even though Denise was a Member, he initially couldn't find her because she hadn't entered her maiden name.
When Denise, then divorced, added her maiden name to her Profile, she received a Who's Searching for You? message. Upon seeing it was Tim, she immediately emailed him, eager to reconnect. Since then they have been inseparable. In front of family and friends, Timothy proposed and Denise joyfully accepted.
Wrote Timothy, "Thank you so much, MyLife.com, for making our lives so wonderful!" March 2006
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| They Built a Family in a Few Seconds Flat |
 MyLife.com's People Search reconnects a cancer survivor to her family after 24 years!
Marianne, 24, was adopted and had been searching for her birth family since age 18. After surviving cancer at 22, an even more determined Marianne set out to discover her genetic heritage as well as locate her family members themselves.
Last December, Marianne conducted a MyLife.com People Search for her sister, Natasha. Not only did that search result in locating Natasha, but also her biological mother and father, one half-sister, three half-brothers, and two nieces!
Marianne joyously reunited with her sisters and mother over the holidays and just recently returned from a trip to Disney World with her father.
"It was by far the best Christmas present I have ever received! I went from a very small family with no siblings to a very large family with many siblings." February 2006
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| Lost Love Rekindled After 19 Years |
 Corrie Ann and Tim are romantic once again thanks to a MyLife.com school search! They connected immediately upon meeting in 1986, when they were both 18. "He was the biggest crush I'd ever had," said Corrie Ann.
After moving away the same year, Corrie Ann lost touch with Tim, though he never left her thoughts. She tried repeatedly to reconnect with him but met with no success.
In 2005, Corrie Ann visited MyLife.com to find info on her high school's 20th reunion and came across Tim's name through a school search. Corrie Ann sent him an email and hoped for the best.
Tim responded immediately, and the joyful pair began a romantic relationship that continues to this day. Corrie Ann wrote that she "nearly flipped out" upon receiving his reply, "The smile on my face was huge!" Now they see and speak with one another regularly. Corrie Ann thanks MyLife.com for making her dream a reality.
February 2006
Story Update, March 2006: Corrie Ann and Tim are now engaged to be married later this year! Congratulations!
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| From Missouri to Moscow |
 Separated by thousands of miles and 10 years, Lori and Anna finally reconnected, thanks to People Search! Anna, now 28, came to the U.S. from Tajikistan 12 years ago as a high school foreign-exchange student. She and her fellow classmate Lori became fast friends and were soon inseparable.
Upon completing her studies, Anna returned to Tajikistan and the two friends lost touch. Remembering all the great times from years past, Lori conducted a People Search. To her delight, she located Anna, now living in Moscow. Although separated by time and distance, the two moms frequently chat online.
"I was so surprised to get an email from Lori!" said Anna, "I think it is a miracle that we are back in touch and possibly going to see each other again!" February 2006 |
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| Friends Together Again After 10 Years |
 Years ago, Dedra and Juanita started up a friendly conversation on a train. They clicked instantly and before long the two became best friends.
Sadly, Dedra moved away the following year, and they lost touch. Dedra had not connected with Juanita since 1995 and spent years searching for her with no success. Recently, Dedra searched for Juanita with MyLife.com's People Search and to her surprise found her long-lost friend!
"Dedra is a beautiful person," says Juanita, who is looking forward to visiting Dedra at her home in New Jersey.
"I tell my children often, if you are lucky enough to find one true friend in your lifetime, consider it a blessing," says Dedra. January 2006
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| Mom and Son Reunite After 22 Years |
Christopher B. and his fiancée "are 10 times more excited about [their] wedding now because of the extra guests that will be showing up!" After 22 years, he's just reunited with his mom and met his sister.
When Christopher was 2, his mother, Joann, lost custody of him. Since Christopher's father was in the military and constantly moved, Joann was unable to maintain contact. She searched for him tirelessly but had no success.
On October 11, 2005, Joann's heart skipped a beat when her People Search found a match. Christopher saw that someone had searched for him, became curious and checked it out. Within 24 hours of Joann's search, they were back in touch.
A month later, Christopher flew across the country to reunite in person. "I had one of the best weekends of my life reuniting with my mom and meeting my sister and other family members!" wrote Christopher. "I feel like I've regained a huge piece of my soul." November 2005
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| Found, Connected and To Be Wed |
 Kari had not seen her high school sweetheart for 20 years but never forgot him. Nearing her 25th high school reunion, Kari joined MyLife.com and used its People Search service to find her lost love, Steve.
Kari found him as a member and emailed him immediately in hopes to connect with him, to have a chance to see what he was like and to find out whether he was available. The next day, Kari received a response. From chatting online, she learned that Steve was recently divorced, as she was, and wanted to meet as well.
Several months later Kari was planning to move from Houston, TX, to Phoenix, AZ, to be with her first and only true love and the couple were setting a wedding date for that summer. "MyLife.com was so easy; I found the man I have always wanted. This is going to be a great story for the grandkids," says Kari. September 2005
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| The Ultimate Family Reunion |
 Forty-one years have passed, and Robyn McMahon and her five siblings can barely wait to see their long-lost baby sister -- in fact, three generations of family eagerly await her arrival.
Robyn was 13 years old when her mom, for reasons beyond her control, sent her youngest daughter, Lisa, one year old at the time, to live with family friends. After their mother died in 1987, Robyn discovered that she needed to reunite the family, but because Lisa was not actually adopted, the resources that Robyn could use to find her were very limited. But, thanks to MyLife.com, Lisa was recently located by Robyn, who did find her by searching the Website.
After 41 years apart, Lisa flew from Grand Junction, Colorado, to reunite with her family in Oceanside, CA, for the ultimate family reunion.
"As children growing up, we had pretty rough times. When we were told that our baby sister was going to be living with another family it took a great toll on each of us. As we grew up we always longed for her, and wondered about her life. All of us coming together again was like completing a jigsaw puzzle that has had a missing piece and now is complete. We are a complete family again. No matter what people say, blood ties are strong and never completely broken. Thank You mylife.com,"
says Robyn McMahon. September 2005
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| Mother and Daughter Reunite After 30 Years |
 Suffering in an abusive relationship, Diane McCormick wanted to protect her children from their violent father. She therefore made the difficult decision to place her son, John, and four-month-old daughter, Tina, for adoption in order to keep them safe. Three years later, Diane moved far away from her partner, and eventually settled in Harrisburg, PA, and is remarried. But through it all, she never forgot her children or the decision she had to make.
Over 30 years have passed since the kids were adopted, and Diane feels blessed to have finally reconnected with her baby girl, now 31 and living just three hours away. Tina actually began the search seven years ago, and after years of fruitless searches finally found her birth mother, Diane, on MyLife.com.
Diane and Tina recently spent time together, and Diane's daughter, Lauren, who lives in Florida, can't wait to meet her. The two are still searching for John and hope he'll be brought back into their lives again soon.
Diane: "To God be the glory, for the great things HE has done."
September 2005
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Do you have a great reunion story?
If so, please send an email to stories@mylife.com. |
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