Mom who gave birth more than 50 years ago meets daughter for the first time after grandchild found her online
A woman from Arizona has been reunited with her daughter more than 50 years after she give birth.
Sandra Weeden was a 17-year-old high school student when in 1970 she made the agonizing decision to give up her newborn daughter in a closed adoption.
Now the pair have reunited after the granddaughter she never knew existed, Azhia-lin, looked her up online, leading to a family reunion.
For the first time, Sandra met her adult daughter, Heidi Wallace, who lived in Maryland, and got to meet the grandchild who set the whole miraculous meeting in motion.
Despite coming together, the past is still raw even after all these years.
'I just wanted the very best in whatever way, whatever capacity that her parents could provide,' Sandra shared, her voice tinged with emotion, as she told of giving her daughter up for adoption. 'And those wishes have exceeded more than I thought.'
For decades, she carried the weight of that choice, often thinking about the girl she never got to know, but always hoping her daughter had found a loving home.
For Heidi Wallace, the revelation of her birth mother's identity was nothing short of transformative.
A woman from Arizona has been reunited with her daughter after more than 50 years apart
Sandra Weeden, right, was reunited with her adult daughter Heidi Wallace, left
Sandra Weeden was a 17-year-old high school student when in 1970 she made the agonizing decision to give up her newborn daughter in a closed adoption
'Go look for your people,' Heidi urged others who might feel similar. 'There's nothing like having the wholeness and completeness that I have now.'
The journey to reconnecting with her mother began when her own daughter took an interest in their family history.
Azhia-lin's search led her to Ancestry.com, where upon using a DNA testing kit she discovered an unexpected match - her mom's own biological mother.
'I think I found your mom,' she recalls telling her mother. 'It was just history from there,' Azhia-lin said to ABC15. 'Now it's just really cool that we have more family.'
The pair first met in an emotional FaceTime call before decided to meet in-person in Mesa, Arizona.
When Sandra and Heidi finally reunited, the moment was overwhelming.
Decades of longing and unanswered questions dissolved in an instant as mother and daughter embraced for the first time since 1970.
Heidi's own daughters, Azhia-lin and Jacqueline Wallace, were equally moved by the reunion.
The family got together over Christmas and took a fabulous family photo with Sandra at the center of it all
Granddaughter Azhia-lin, pictured, made the family connection after a DNA test on Ancestry.com led to her finding her mother's own biological daughter
Sandra, left, and daughter, Heidi, right are seen sharing a musical moment together at the piano
'I'm just so happy that we have finally got to be able to connect,' Heidi said. 'I look forward to more memories to be made.'
Sandra, pictured, and her daughter Heidi have spent countless hours reconnecting, sharing stories, and creating new memories
For Jacqueline, the discovery of her grandmother was nothing short of a gift.
'You can never have too much family,' she said to KNXV. 'I have all this kind of family, different shades, different types, different colors. Everybody's different, and that's the best thing.'
Sandra and Heidi have spent countless hours reconnecting, sharing stories, and creating new memories.
For Heidi, the most profound part of rediscovering her mother was simply knowing she existed.
'I'm just so happy that we have finally got to be able to connect,' Heidi said. 'I look forward to more memories to be made.'
