奇速英语

婴儿时遭绑架！家人苦寻51年终团圆

For every parent of a missing child, the dream is always the same: You discover that your long-lost child has finally made it home, safe and sound.

Melissa Suzanne Highsmith, a woman who first went missing when she just learned to walk recently met up with her family. The woman, later renamed Melanie, had been living only half an hour away from her birth parents.

She and her birth father did DNA tests. Although Melissa is still waiting for the results of her own DNA test, her birth parents are certain they’ve found the right person because of her birthmark(胎记) and date of birth. With that said, family members and Melissa herself continue to process the unbelievably good news. “I feel like I am dreaming and I keep having to pinch(掐) myself to make sure I’m awake,” Melissa said.

How did she get lost? In 1971, Alta hired a new babysitter(临时保母) to care for her then 22-month-old daughter. Later, she returned to an empty house. It would take the next 51 years to uncover the truth—Melissa was abducted(诱拐) by the very woman who came to babysit her.

Now Alta has proudly announced “WE FOUND MELISSA!!!” on a post to a Facebook group. Included in her heartwarming post are these words: “WE KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was OUR GIRL.” The family also said that they never stopped looking for Melissa over the years and are “thrilled” about recent developments. “I’m just happy, and I can’t describe my feelings,” Alta said. “I’m so happy to see my daughter that I didn’t think I would ever see again.”

Clearly, a mother’s love cannot be diminished by time or distance. As evidenced in their Facebook post, Melissa and her family are now experiencing the joy of being together once again. They have also expressed gratitude for years of public support.