Mum reunites with daughter after 69 years apart

A woman who was falsely told her baby had died in childbirth 69 years ago has finally met her daughter for the first time.

On Monday, Genevieve Purinton, 88, and her daughter, Connie Moultroup, hugged for the first time in what they’re calling a “Christmas miracle”.

They met in a Florida nursing home after connecting through a $82 DNA kit from Ancestry.com that Connie received last Christmas, reported Fox 13.

“I discovered I had a first cousin whose mother was named Genevieve Purinton — when we talked on the phone she said, ‘That’s my aunt’s name and she’s still alive,'” Connie tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

WhenGenevieve gave birth to her daughter at age 18 in an Indiana hospital, she was told a life-altering lie.

“I was a young, un-wed mim, and they said my baby died during birth,” Genevieve tells Yahoo Lifestyle. Genevieve wasn’t provided a death certificate and she never had more children.

Connie was adopted by a family in California and growing up, her favourite bedtime story was that of her adoption.

“My parents would tell me this fabulous story of walking up and down the hospital halls looking for me,” she says.

At age 4, Connie’s mother died and her father quickly remarried.

After he died during Connie’s teen years, she was raised by her stepmother, with whom Connie had a difficult relationship.

“I dreamt of meeting my real mum — a beautiful woman who swooped in and rescued me,” she says.

Last Christmas, Connie‘s daughter, Bonnie Chase, bought her a DNA kit.

“I never met my own biological father, and growing up, it was just me and my mom,” Bonnie tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I remember mum trying to find her birth mother, and it was hard to see her go through that.”

On Sept. 8, Connie received a phone call from her real mum,Genevieve.

“She said, ‘Where were you born? What year? I think I might be your mother.” The women talked on the phone for 30 minutes and planned to reunite at her assisted living home.

Over the next few months, they had bi-weekly phone chats and on Monday, everything made sense.

“She couldn’t deny me if she wanted to — we look exactly alike,” jokes Connie. “We have the same facial features, bad knees, and we’ve both had heart attacks and strokes.”

“My mum had always wanted to be a nurse, but she couldn’t afford school so she became a cook,” adds Connie. “I was a nurse for 34 years and my passion is cooking.”

Connie is grateful, overwhelmed and excited by her second chance.

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” she says. “I don’t think Santa can outdo this one.”

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