When a woman discovered she was pregnant, she chose to place the child for adoption. The elderly woman, who was nearly 100 years old, had given up hope of ever seeing her child again.

Parents make numerous sacrifices for their children, and their choices are frequently unpleasant. A young mother realized that another family would be able to provide her daughter with a better life.

She bid goodbye to her child as a Jewish immigrant in England, hoping it would save her from a situation of poverty. The mother couldn’t stop thinking about the little girl and wished to see her again.

Gerda Cole had her 98th birthday in 2022 and got the gift of her life. Take out your Kleenex and read her touching narrative, which will inspire you to believe in miracles.

Cole has lived through several times, but she will never forget the year 1942, when she became pregnant with her first child, a daughter. The mom was only 18 years old and unable to care for her newborn baby and meet her basic necessities.

Cole took the agonizing decision to leave his baby to a German family living in England since he couldn’t afford to raise her. “I felt it was just for her,” she explained. But it wasn’t simple, and the decision made the young mother miserable.

Cole believed that placing her child for adoption was the right option, but she still pined for the child named Sonya. Although the woman’s life continued, she never had another cub.

Her only motherhood experience was distant yet cherished memories of Sonya. Cole, who was approaching 100, was convinced that his hopes of meeting his daughter were all but vanished. But then something unexpected happened.

One of her grandchildren, whom she had no idea existed, required essential family documents to travel to another country, and he made an unexpected find while looking for them.

Stephen Grist, Sonya Grist’s child, contacted a family member and requested his grandma’s death certificate in order to complete his application for Austrian citizenship.

“No, you’re not going to find his death certificate,” a family member said. Stephen was perplexed, but things began to make sense when he discovered Cole was still alive.

She was in a care home in Canada when she learned the news. “It never occurred to us that my grandma would still be alive,” he added. Stephen waited 2 weeks for the right moment to tell his mother the news.

Sonya was speechless and eager to meet the mother who had given birth to her. “My first instinct was that I wanted to go see her,” she explained. I was overjoyed.

She couldn’t wait to board a plane and fly from the United Kingdom to Canada. Sonya couldn’t contain her excitement as the days leading up to their meeting came closer, and she began to shiver before seeing her mom for the first time.

Grist’s son happened to come upon the news that his grandma was still alive, which led to a bittersweet reunion that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

Cole was overjoyed to learn that she would finally meet her long-lost daughter. It was the nicest birthday present she could have gotten and meant everything to her. The woman stated:

“I couldn’t understand it when I heard. It has to be a miracle.

The pair celebrated Cole’s birthday with a special celebration, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. After hugging her mother, Sonya stated, “I haven’t come down to earth yet.”

Reuniting with his daughter has provided Cole with “something to live on for a few more years.” She continued, saying:

“I made so many mistakes, but she went looking for me and found me.” It seemed unreal.

Cole thanked his grandson for arranging the meeting while reading a letter of thanks. “Thank you for this opportunity,” she said. It means so lot to be alive to witness this moment.

Mother and daughter reunited after more than 80 years apart, and despite the decades apart, they were anxious to make up for lost time.

Sonya, like her mother, had many questions, and the couple quickly bonded as they got to know each other. They were supposed to meet, and it took a lifetime, but it was worth it.