A mother and her son, who reunited after spending 58 years apart, are feeling thankful for the opportunity as they share their story with the world.
Calvin Barrett had to endure the devastating loss of his mom after she walked away from his life 58 years ago. After spending two decades searching for her, the 64-year-old man finally found his long-lost mom, Molly Payne, and reconnected with her in a heartfelt reunion.
In a recent interview, the Michigan resident recounted how he finally succeeded in tracking down his mom with the help of his granddaughter.
Mother and son who reunited after 58 years apart. | Photo: twitter/bbccambs
Calvin revealed that when his daughter found out about his quest, which admittedly became a near-obsession as he got older, she offered a helping hand.
His daughter, MacKenzie Barrett, carried out an ancestry DNA test, which ultimately linked her to Molly’s nephew, Stephen Payne. She wasted no time messaging him and getting the information she needed to identify him as a blood relative of Molly’s.
Stephen proceeded to inform his aunt about the development, and her excitement knew no bounds as she anticipated meeting her son. Molly divulged: “These boys were taken away from me. I didn’t just leave them.”
The mother and son who waited 58 years for a hug https://t.co/M2VC7LX0LD
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) September 21, 2021
Calvin was only six when his mom walked out on his life, leaving him and his brother to grow up with their dad, Bob Barrett, and their grandmother.
Molly and Bob got together back in the 50s, while they were both based in the UK. At the time, Bob was serving in a UK-based American Army and was content settling down with his love interest.
The duo eventually wed in 1955, welcoming their first son, Calvin, two years later. At the time, the couple had relocated to the United States to begin a new life.
God bless them. Wishing them a long and happy reunion. 🤗🤗🤗
— Kate B. (@KateB59698164) September 21, 2021
Sadly, Molly never got the hang of living in the US, leading her to have a complete breakdown. Right after welcoming her second son, Michael, she returned to the UK at her brother’s request to recover some sanity before returning.
Little did she know that would be the last time she would ever see her kids. She tried several times to return to the US, to no avail. When her efforts failed, she resorted to sending over handwritten notes and gift packs to the youngsters, but they never received them.
It appeared someone had been intentionally sabotaging her efforts to reach out to the boys. Calvin admitted that while growing up, his dad and grandmother never spoke about his mom, no matter how much he yearned for her company.
This is so heartbreaking
— Flor (@flor_quilo) September 21, 2021
Following Bob’s death, Calvin was finally free to seek out his mom. He began his hunt at the age of 27 but never made headway until his daughter’s intervention nearly two decades later. Recounting the moment McKenzie broke the news to him, the elated manshared:
“It was amazing. I was on cloud nine. It brings tears to my eyes now.”
Due to their different locations, the mother-son pair could not reconnect instantly. They had to settle for communicating via Facebook for about four months.
Were they in a never-ending lockdown too?
— Linda 🇦🇺 👩🏫 (@mrsc2902) September 21, 2021
Finally, the reunion they had all been anticipating played out in early September. Calvin flew down to the UK, arriving at the welcoming embrace of his long-lost mom.
As the two hugged affectionately, their joy knew no bounds. They shed tears of joy as they felt every bit of the bond they once shared reignited. Calvinexplained:
“It was like an empty spot in my heart had finally been filled after all these years.”
Even after 24 years of searching, Guo Gangtang never gave up hope that he would find his kidnapped son.
This week, they were reunited. https://t.co/vHWpaN6s1a pic.twitter.com/9gk1vcSSuE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 14, 2021
Those were also the feelings of Chinese couple Guo Gangtang and his wife, Zang Wenge, when they reunited with their son in July, 24 years after he was abducted.
Gangtang spent over two decades searching for his kidnapped son, travelling across countries on his motorbike. He finally found the now-26-year-old boy after police officers matched their DNA.
The story of the relentless parents garnered vast attention on social media and around the globe, eventually inspiring the movie “Lost And Love.”