Kirk Kellerhals from Virginia Beach spent 50 years of his life believing his biological parents were killed in the Vietnam War and that’s how he ended up in an orphanage and later adopted by an American family. What this man didn’t know was that the truth was way different than that.
Kirk’s biological mother was only 17 when she gave birth. She was a young Vietnamese woman who fell for an American soldier, but her father was against her carrying a serviceman’s child so he gave his newborn grandson at an orphanage.
Over the years, Kirk often thought of his origin and wanted to learn more about his heritage, so he decided to submit his information to an online DNA database.
Not long after that, he received an e-mail saying “call me.” He thought the mail was vague but decided to see who sent it not knowing it was the woman who gave birth to him on the other side of the line. She said, “I think you’re my son.”
Kirk couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He recalled the DNA database sending him a message saying there was a match with the info he submitted but he didn’t take it seriously.
His mother, Thuy-Nga Thi, was living in America with her husband, and soon after the phone call, these mother and son finally met. It was a moment so emotional and touching that no one who witnessed it was able to stop tears from rolling down their faces.
It took five decades for one family to be reunited. A family that shouldn’t have been separated in the first place. Although both Kirk and Thuy-Nga Thi missed out on so much throughout the years, they could now be where they always belonged; by each other’s side.
Take a look at the video below for the whole story. Make sure you grab some tissues before hitting play.