By Maureen Famiano
Who knew that a single phone call in the middle of a pandemic would change lives, but it did. Lutz resident, Beth Cole answered the call in the midst of a typical busy day. The caller explained that he was with DiscoverFamily.net and asked to speak to Beth. What happened next changed the trajectory of two lives and many more in the process. The caller asked her if she had a baby on October 3, 1993. That question stopped Beth in her tracks. She paused and felt the blood rush out of her face, she asked them to repeat what they just said. Beth paused and said she needed to take down the number and call them back. She then took some time to replay the call in her mind and determine her next step.
It turns out that yes Beth had given birth to a baby 26 years before. She was 19 and a freshman at an Indiana college. She realized her unplanned pregnancy meant consequences and she knew adoption was her only choice. She picked an adoption agency, looked for great parents to take her place and shared two wishes. She wanted the baby to know she was adopted and she requested pictures each year on her birthday. The couple agreed and life for all moved forward.
After digesting the enormity of the call, Beth gathered strength & courage and called back. Yes she had given birth on that day. The caller explained a young woman was searching for her birth mom and they believed it was Beth. That call began the journey of reconnecting with her daughter.
The news of finding her birth mom, Beth, was exciting, scary and overwhelming for Rebecca Hook. The 26 year old Michigan woman decided now was the time, during a pandemic, to put curiosity aside and begin the search.
The re-connecting began with text message exchanges between birth mom Beth and adopted daughter Rebecca. It grew into phone calls and zoom sessions. It started with cordial “hellos” and “how are you’s” and progressed quickly. There were many surprises. Beth, 46, learned she was a grandma to 2 and a half year old Addy. Rebecca learned she had three siblings, Paige, 17, Brooke 12 and Issac, 8, plus Beth’s husband Dave and Beth’s parents. Everyone was elated. The conversations were easy and tender. It was a happy time to connect and share a lifetime of happenings. The next step was planning an in person meeting – pandemic or not.
In July, the Lutz family flew to Michigan. The anticipation was enormous and the initial hug between Beth and Rebecca worked to wipe away 26 years of missed connections. Those days were spent getting to know mannerisms, feelings, personalities and hearing about a lifetime lost and now found. It was a two day whirlwind and a magical time.
Beth’s family returned home with new joyous memories. The phone calls, texts and zoom calls continued. Beth’s Tampa Bay parents supported her decades before and it was her father’s desperate wish to meet Rebecca before health challenges made that impossible. The meeting was set for mid-October when Rebecca and Addy flew to Tampa Bay days after her 27th birthday. Grandma Anita Yoder got out of the car and with open arms glided over to hug the granddaughter she never knew. With tears in her eyes, the hug was priceless. Rebecca then turned to her Grandfather Steve Yoder who quietly whispered, “I had hoped and prayed for this day for 27 years. Now I can go home.” There were double hugs again and much laughter and time spent cherishing these special moments. They were all together again.
There are lessons learned in this hopeful joyous story of love. Rebecca says while she wondered why she had been placed up for adoption, she felt comforted in learning of Beth’s decision and yearly photo update. Rebecca said, “That news made me feel better, I was not a dirty little secret.” She was loved. For Beth – while she hoped to one day see her daughter, she wasn’t going to reach out first as to not disrupt that life. This scenario, while a complete shock, was the best thing to happen. Both agree with giggles and smiles galore, there are just now a whole lot more people to love and to care about.
The hopeful discovery has led Beth to create a website for others contemplating tough decisions and for those wondering where to turn in adoption cases. The website is www.HopeReunited.com and their story is already touching hearts and lives – leading to answers, hope and closure. It is connected to the agency that began the search, DiscoverFamily.net. Beth and Rebecca are extremely grateful for their efforts.
When asked how she’d rate the reunion and the perhaps impossible scenario on what’s transpired since finding out about her birth mom and then meeting her, Rebecca says, “it’s better than best. Much better!”
