"She hoped, but never imagined, she'd see her Betty Jane again."

Sad and very nice story set aside the circumstance.

This gave me chills of joy and hope for others that are searching for their loved ones! Absolutely amazing is putting it lightly!

re-evolution, your comment is a sure sign of your lack of evolution

I think it is an awesome story,the both of them, and I think that God is in control of even this ! Thanks be to God!

Don't be so cynical! Girls and boys are raped somewhere in the world everyday.

Vincent

Did your mother give you up too?

Vincent, she is a mom if her daughter chooses to acknowledge her as such. I doubt very much that they give a crap about your opinion

Don't know what on earth this comment has to do with the story....

What an awsome story, one that I wish would be mine one day. I too was adopted 5-15-1960 from Illinois or Indiana. And to find each other after all those years, and for her to be still alive to finally meet her daughter. Just a wonderful story, what a wonderful way to start the new year.

I am glad God answered her prayers! She did not give the baby up for adoption because she was raped, she gave the baby up because 77 years ago life was very different and for a girl with an eighth grade education, and unwilling parents to help her she had no other recourse. The Lord watched over the baby and gave her a wonderful life one that she now shares with her biological mother! I wish more stories like this were published.

Disbrow, the daughter of Dutch immigrants, weathered a harsh childhood milking cows on South Dakota dairy farms. Her stepfather thought high school was for city kids who had nothing else to do. She finished eighth grade in a country schoolhouse with just one teacher and worked long hours at the dairy.

I really don't understand why her 8th grade education is a part of this story. It seems as though it's meant to sensationalize her past. Evil step father wouldn't let her go to high school.

Fact of the matter is, an 8th grade education was the norm back then. And the reason why her step father thought a high school education was for city kids, is because back in the 1920's many States didn't have High Schools yet and those that did were only in cities.

"But most nineteenth-century American youths, if they did not live in a large town or city, did not have a secondary school remotely near their domicile. ... The central character in Willa Cather’s My Antonia, to borrow another example from Nebraska, moved from farm to city just to attend high school in 1895. Nor would most American youth have been interested in attending secondary school in the nineteenth century, for even public high schools were primarily preparatory in- stitutions for college... The high school movement began to assume form in the 1890s, though I shall characterize it as taking place from 1910 to 1940 because that is when enrollment and graduation figures rapidly increase. The state-level data on which I am basing this study begin in 1910, but related evidence suggests a quickening in the relevant rates around 1910.8 The movement progressed differently in cities, towns, and rural areas and spread in certain regions and states far earlier than in others."

This is from a PDF Titled Goldin_Egalitarianism.pdf

You can probably find it if you look it up, if one is so inclined.

Now days when we think of an 8th grade education, we think of it as incomplete, and that the person lacks such an education as too be ignorant. But for people back then, it simply wasn't a lack in education. Going to 8th grade was pretty much like finishing 12th grade now days. But much better. Many teens graduating from high school can't even read. Here's part of an 8th grade final exam from 1895, just about 30 years before she was an 8th grader.

"8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, Kansas - 1895 Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.

2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.

3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.

4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.

5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.

6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.

7-10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic. ...

4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?

5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton. 6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent. ...

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided. ...

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic orthography, etymology, syllabication?

2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?

3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?

4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'. ...

10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication. ...

Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?

2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas? ...

5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.

6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.

7. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.

8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?

9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.

10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

This is also from a pdf. You want to look at all the questions, go here:

jordanmaxwell.com/articles/8th-2520grade-2520test.pdf

I would like to see the average American 12th grader past this test. I bet most adults, including me, couldn't get all these questions right. So lets keep things in perspective when reading heart warming stories that are meant to hit the emotional side of the brain. She wasn't a poor over worked barely educated girl.

"...most nineteenth-century American youths.."

She wasn't born in the 19th century.

Oh my. Another bad Lifetime movie. You are so right.

Why bad???

Why bad???

Because there will inevitably ALWAYS be somebody who cannot stand happiness for somebody else. (e.g.: Imatthebeach)

Bad, perhaps because it wouldn't do the actual story justice. A TV doccumentary maybe, but as a movie I could see it being pretty blah, which would be sad, because this woman is remarkable.

Young unmarried women being sent away to have their babies alone and in shame, and then being forced to give them up for adoption was an all too common story right up into through the 1960's and, in some families, I am sure, beyond. I agree, there isn't good movie material. I somehow see scenes out of The Sound of Music, on the scenic dairy farm....yeah, not feeling the movie thing.

Definitely a sad, beautiful and moving real-life story. Maybe, if it was done by top-notch writers and producers, to really get at the bonds of a mother and child, the disregard of the rapists & how they changed this woman's life forever.... It would have to be so well done. Not an easy story to do well.

Amazing!!! But there's a movement out there that wants abortion for rape victims. If she had an abortion back then this story would not have happened.

kdc43 - Your statement about a "movement" is incorrect and misguided. A rape victim, as well as any other pregnant woman, has the moral right to control what happens to her body and has the right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy. Re whether the story would not have happened, then you may as well extend your logic to the horrific crime that was committed against a 16-year-old girl - perhaps you are also in favor of rape since it has the possibility of producing more human beings. In reality, the planet is not in desperate need of more people regardless of the cost in women's lives that are ruined.

Young unmarried women being sent away to have their babies alone and in shame, and then being forced to give them up for adoption was an all too common story right up into through the 1960's and, in some families, I am sure, beyond.

The silver lining, in this case at least, is that the baby girl who was put up for adoption had a happy childhood with two good parents. Maybe her life would not have turned out as well if she had stayed with her teenage biological mother, and maybe the life of the woman who was raped would not have turned out as well if she had kept the child.

The sad thing is that they didn't connect until a few years ago and now their time together is short. But the way I see it, it worked out for the best for both of them that the mother gave her baby up for adoption.

Dano, all lifetime movies are bad. Have you ever watched one of those things?

ConwayTwitter, I don't remember seeing you around here though you might have changed your name. Lifetime movies are pure garbage. Are you a troll? Just jump on here and start insulting people?

Go do your homework.

There is not enough story here for a movie.

ditto Imatthebeach,

Trolls and igornant a$$es, please go away.

Hi, Boris. Call me Beach. Nice to meet you. Thanks.

Boris, correction: I thought it was nice to meet you. I've since learned otherwise. You seem to be quite bitter and are making a lot of non-friends on the Vine in a very short period of time. Unfortunate.

If you don't want to make "friends" (as you state on your accounts page) and your family is so important, why don't you spend more time with them and less time alienating people here?

And have a nice day. :)

LOL Nope, not a troll. Been around for a while. Maybe you only pay attention to posts that have your name in it? I guess you and Boris both think you're so important.
But I'm just as intitled to my opinion as you are, and with 10 positives on my message, apparently others agree with me. So take your little rant someplace else...and take Boris with you. Neither of you make or ruin my days, and I could care less what you think about me. Have a great day! =)

Yo, Twit, Did you ever give any consideration to the idea that just maybe I usually do not read or comment on this type of story? Sheesh.........

And I'm not taking Boris anywhere. I don't like him, either. lol

There are always some naysayers and wise guys, no matter what the subject. A wonderful story is told, but some just cannot be decent and be happy for them. Here's to both of these ladies....they've literally waited a lifetime for reunionification. God bless. I hope they are granted much time together to help overcome the past.

And not all rapes that produce babies mean the baby is not loved. Rape is never condoned, but the baby is always innocent. Had the baby been aborted, like Planned Parenthood would have suggested she do, then also would be lost the accomplished grandchildren, including the astronaut. God takes lemons and makes lemonade. See Re-evolution, here again is proof that prayer works.....

planned parenthood does not suggest anything of the sort you moron.

Moon, I can appreciate where you are coming from.

But God doesn't always "take lemons and make lemonade". Why does a story like this have to turn into anyone's personal platform for relgious beliefs?

And while I am typing....Whatever our individual beliefs on abortion, the topic is nothing I want the government mucking with. We would never tolerate our government limiting our families as they do in Communist China. But Right-to-Lifers want a government that tells 50% of its citizens they must not end a pregnancy.

It boggles my mind that the people who adamantly claim they want "less government", are the same ones who want a Government telling a woman she must go through with a Pregnancy. I don't know if you feel that way or not, but something tells me Yes. You have every right to feel, be and talk passionately against abortion. But not to vote in laws regarding wha happens in the most private part of a woman's body. Planned Parenthood would definitely NOT have suggested an abortion. They would have included an abortion as an option if the girl had sought their help.

And not all rapes that produce babies mean the baby is not loved.

And not all marriages that produce babies mean the baby IS loved. But don't you think the odds of being loved are just a little bit better for a baby conceived in love than they are for a baby conceived in a brutal act of rape? The girl didn't even understand what had happened to her...she thought the stork brought babies. She couldn't even tell anyone she had been raped.

She loved the baby, but she was a kid herself who had little education and no way to support the child. It was probably a good thing that she was forced to put the baby up for adoption, even though many teenagers keep their unplanned babies nowadays.

The people who adopted the baby wouldn't resent the child for how she had been conceived, but the biological mother might well have at some point.

The child apparently was not told that she had been conceived in a rape, even though she knew she was adopted, and only learned of it recently. It would be a hard thing to come to terms with as a child.

No woman should ever be forced to bear a child...that is a form of slavery. It is even worse to force a woman who has been raped to bear the child. This story does not change that reality at all.

Too bad the bully rapists didn't get extreme punishment. God, do it now! What happened to the "good old days?" When youngs girls must slave away on the dairy farm and skip school? Not report being raped for fear of being beaten to death.

It is good to know the Mom is happy.

"It boggles my mind that the people who adamantly claim they want "less
government", are the same ones who want a Government telling a woman she
must go through with a Pregnancy"

Hey, hey... I want less government in my life and that does NOT interfere in anyway with my support of a woman's right to choose. In fact, my desire for less
government supports my views on a woman's right to choose (it's none of the
government's business).

How does that viewpoint fit with your preconceived ideas? Not too well, I think.
The problem with preconceptions is that they are often based on vague
generalities that do not fit the facts. In short, preconceptions are often
WRONG.

Kaybeetoys,

Almost five years ago I was raped by a man I had known for five years. I found out two weeks later that I conceived a child from that rape. I thought about abortion and seriously considered it for two days. During those two days I thought about my unborn child in terms of my "rapist's child" which made dealing with the situation very hard for me. After those two days, I looked at my older son, who had just had his 5th birthday, and realized that the child growing inside me was not just my "rapist's child", the baby is my child too.

I choose to keep my son and raise him to this day. I never think of him in terms of his father, although he does look a lot like his father (which is a good thing to him because I found his father very attractive so perhaps he will have his fathers good looks and my personality. the best combination). I must admit that I seldom think of him as his father's son. He is MY son. I carried him for nearly 10 months, I gave birth to him without the support of the father not that I would have wanted his father there as is it, I have now raised him through the first four years of his life.

I made the best choice for ME. I love MY son. He is the greatest gift I could have been given from the tragedy. All that being said I will get to my point. I used to be very Pro-life. To the point I felt abortion should not be considered at all for any reason. I then went through these events four years ago. I faced this decision and considered all my options. Keeping my child was right for me, but I can see how Abortion can be the best decision for another woman. If the woman has not accepted the events, how can they be expected to deal with the trauma of child birth as well. I would never advertise abortion as an option. I feel it should be offered in cases of rape but only after all other choices have been considered, such as keeping the child or putting the child up for adoption and some serious consuling from a psychological professional who specializes in these cases and works outside of the abortion clinic with pro-choice setiments.

Abortion is a sensitive topic. No one knows how they will really feel when raped and then find out they are pregnant as a result.

I give my best to the mother and daughter as they get to know each other. I also hope that the grandchildren and great-grandchildren get to know each other in the time they have left. My mother was found in August by the child she gave up for adoption 26 years ago. This was the greatest gift of all. My sister was given up because she was very very sick as an infant. My parents already had two other children, my older sistr and my self, and they could not afford to take my baby sister to the hospital. It was a hard decision for both my parents. Give her up for adoption and give her a chance to survive or keep her and loose her because they could not afford the medical care she required. Thankfully my sister has found us and we have accepted her into our family and she has us as well. Thankfully, like the girl in this story, she has a happy childhood growing up, and we can now have a part in her adult life. My sister as stated that finding us has expanded her family and made it complete.

Best of luck to you all,

Ressa

Your story is very uplifting and had a great ending, just like the one in the original article. However, while I support ANYONE'S right to make their own choices, within the law and what is right, I have never understood how it is anyone's "right" to kill someone else, just because it's inconvenient to have them on the way to being born. How does one woman's "right" to her own body make it okay to kill a child that (if it's a girl) will grow up to be another woman? What about her (or his) "right" to their own body? I know there will be furious answers from people, but it still doesn't make sense to me.

Letitbe:

The reality is we will one day have to accept limiting our offspring unless there is a mass die-off that makes the burgeoning population less of an issue. It is a law of Biology that an arbitrary habitat can only support a certain population before running out of resources. As the population grows, the quality of life keep declining until you reach a critical point where it begins to die due to famine, thirst, etc. Hell, modern humans would begin to die if the electric was off for weeks and they could no longer preserve food. These are just facts of life. The human population just hit the 7 billion mark last month. Despite our ability to farm and engineer food through cloning, etc, we will eventually reach a point where we have 'picked the earth clean'...we are already beginning to notice this with the increasing scarcity of fresh water. You are lucky to have it 'on tap', but there are areas where it is hard to come by and it will be coming to a city near you as we increase our numbers. The command "be fruitful and multiply" is a death-sentence when taken to excess.

Nikki Mckinzie--

Abortion is NOT killing if the fetus is not viable (cannot live on its own) outside the womb. Women are more than incubators, and if an unwanted pregnancy is within the parameters of the first trimester, I have no problem with abortion. Babies are fetuses which reach a certain level of development: birth. Some religions believe life begins at birth. Ending a fetus's development in clean, legal environment is a huge improvement over how woman ended preganancies since time began.

David Stone, I love a good troll but you are not a good troll. Please sign up for lessons from Vivian,

michele,

You were adopted, and at 30 you finally located your adopted family. ??? I must be missing something about your story???? Confused???

A simple misuse of words is all - I am sure that she is saying she was 30 when she located her biological family. Never thought to call her out on it though. Geez give a person a break already, it does not take a genius to understand what point she is making.

dano - what is so confusing? The lady merely said she was adopted and located her biological parents when she was 30.

Dano is the confused one -- and it shows by the lame trying to be cute comment.

Dont ya just love it when god allows his people to be raped?

People have Free Will. GOD doesn't intercede in our lives but allows us to live them. WE have to correct our mistakes and will be rewarded or punished in the afterlife. Otherwise we'd be nothing but cattle. If you want to be a moaning calf- so be it.

Kevin, I guess you can't see the "whole" of the article. It was about how in the midst of something so horrible, something good did happen. josinarizonia was making that point. How rude to mock her comment or bring it down. Maybe she needed to spell it out for you to understand. Yes, there was a rape, one of the most horrific crimes, and yet, in the end there was a MIRACLE. A mother was reunited with her child.

God bless this family and whatever time they have left.

Kevin,

I could explain but you wouldn't get it.

Yep, probably not ..

If there was a magical man in the sky, wouldn't he have performed the miracle right before the rape took place, by letting these little girls get away instead of allowing this tragic sexual assault to occur in the first place?

Just reuniting the mother/daughter years later is not a miracle: it's the result of research and persistence by the son.

I wonder why people believe in such fanciful myths and superstitions such as "gods," then twist reality to fit their nonsensical beliefs? Science is much more interesting, and REAL.

Listen, I'm glad the mother and daughter were reunited after all these years, but for anyone to say or represent that this story is a "miracle" is grossly mistaken. A young woman was viciously attacked and her dignity and sexuality stolen at a young age. That's no miracle. It was nothing but dedication, effort, and some good luck that provided the heartwarming reunion of mother and daughter. The rest of the story is a deep tragedy and I feel sorry for the two rape victims.

I will never understand this need to mock other peoples beliefs. I find the beliefs of others just as beautiful, inspiring, and interesting as the myriad scientific ologies.

When people believe things that cause the human race to regress back to the stone age, YOU MOCK THEM.

Miracle? What kind of idiotic, brainwashed freak would call this a miracle? This woman was viciously attacked and raped 77 years ago. God let this happen, and he let her go through the rest of her long life with that anguish. Then, just before she dies, she gets to see the child she's been thinking about for the better part of 100 years.

What kind of fukked-up god are we dealing with here? Take your god and keep him to yourself, please. If this is a miracle, I think we can all live without him.

Colby- I will never understand this need to shove one's religious beliefs in another's face. They should keep it in their pants every bit as much as the rapists should have!

Do you mean the miracle of being raped at 16 after being raised in ignorance because of Christianity?

Soren Kierkegaard was a Christian existentialist, which is almost, or maybe is flat out an oxymoron. But, I can so relate to his philosophy. I am a Christian, yet I can understand the cynicism that abounds here.

I lost a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. There was no "self-destructive mistake" or "lack of appreciation of my child so I had to loose her to appreciate her" type of nonsense. Believe it or not, that kind of rationale has been suggested by some Christians to explain the senseless nature of her death. And, I don't believe that God chooses to save some and let some die. That's just too cold and calculating - evil? I think we are left here on earth to flounder, survive or not, for a reason we will learn sometime...

I am currently considering the infernal, so to speak, conundrum of the purpose and true benefit of prayer. Is it for us, Him, both...?

As far as the Bible goes, it was not to be changed "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Mat 5:10 (King James Version) Well, it has been changed OFTEN while it has NOT all been fulfilled, so I don't know how we can perceive the Bible as THE consecrated Word of God. I AM confused.

So my prayers go straight to God - between me and Him. We will work this out. The rest of you are entitled to what you believe. I hope the best for you and will not diminish your intelligence because you don't admit to being as confused as I am.

Signing out for now...

Kathryne

To all those who were wondering what kind of God would allow those two girls to be raped in the first place, all I can say is that at times it is MAN and not God who does things. MAN at times does bad things-- maybe God should have killed the MAN or MEN who raped the girls. It is very possible that this old world would be better off if God would make MEN with the desire to be decent.

What did God have to do with this? If God had wanted to be involved, he could have re-united them a long time ago. I seriously doubt God took much of an active role in this. He may have been pleased with the outcome but I really doubt he made it happen. If you believe God made this happen, you have to give credance to Kevin's statement as well. BTW, I think Kevin's statement was uncalled for based on the story the comment was made on. I also believe he makes a good point, assuming others want to turn this into a religious miracle.

@ttmadison, it just isn't fair that I can only LIKE your comment once!!!

People need to understand that just like the ~Lord~ works in mysterious ways... so does the Devil! [whom corrupts and deceives ppl]. & rape is DEFINITELY a devilish thing!!!

So ppl really NEED to STOP blaming God... he is good and righteous in every way & ~ALWAYS~ remember that something good happens out of every tragedy (evil).

Good things came out of evil circumstances. What scientific explanation do you propose?

The fact is that no one can explain what occurred here. Those that mock the idea that God was involved, will never believe in anything they cannot understand or manipulate. It is just as preposterous to think that everything can be explained and understood through science, or occurs by random chance, as it is to think that the great OZ is pulling the strings.

The people in this story feel that some good ending has come out of a horrible crime. I think that is all that matters.

That had nothing to do with God but the Devil. Man destroys things....not God. Thankfully, for people who do not believe, will someday have the chance to say I'm sorry to God...he is a forgiving God.

well said Kathryne.

I think there are lessons to learn here, hard ones. I do believe in god but not in the way most do, and if you do not that is not any of my business. I wont judge you for your beliefs it is not my job. If there is a god he will sort it out when we all eventually succumb to the inevitable. God or not we all must make that journey one day and we must make it alone. I think the miracle here is that this woman was dealt a hand that would break many of us, me included and the fact that she was able to love that child in spite of how she came into this world is the true miracle. It would take a strong person to overcome something like that and not turn their experience into hate.

Oh yet ANOTHER wonderful article ruined by those who feel the need to hijack the newsvine to express their religious debates. If someone wants to praise God, there is NO need to attack them. Much like if someone decides they don't believe in God, there is no need to attack them. Live and let life folks.

I'm going to scroll down and see who decided to use this sight to promote their political views now. That too seems to go hand-in-hand with these Newsvines.

All thanks to Mighty Thor for reuniting this family. See you in Valhalla, folks! Aarrgh!

LEGION57

People have Free Will. GOD doesn't intercede in our lives but allows us to live them. WE have to correct our mistakes and will be rewarded or punished in the afterlife. Otherwise we'd be nothing but cattle. If you want to be a moaning calf- so be it.

Oh, My Lord! The "free will" mankind has, is to decide whether or not to go to work, or if they want to wear blue pants or red pants. People do not CHOOSE things that happen TO them. Whoever started that "free will" excuse, is as lame as the words themselves.

Do you honestly think it was MY FREE WILL that made my mother walk out on us when I was 3? Or my brother drown when I was 8?
Get out of Oz and get real.

Rem and others have pasts, that sometimes leaves pain, confusion and yes, even anger, to live on. Most people walking day to day around these people wouldn't have a clue as to what they've lived through. But I can ASSURE you, it wasn't THEIR "FREE WILL" CHOICE! People don't ask for bad things to happen to them. Good grief!

I really, really doubt josinarizona meant that the rape of this woman was a miracle. And, to assume that, that is what was meant was rather unnecessary. Why do so many people look for the bad in what others say.
The point of the story was not that she was raped. The point was that even after so many decades her daughter found her and is able to have a relationship with her.
It really doesn't matter what you believe. The fact that people are so mean about a comment that was meant in kind is just plain sad.

Considering the age of the mother and time in which she was born some might consider that her living this long to be re-united and nearly 100 is a miracle in it's self. God doesn't sit around waiting to stop all bad things from happening. He gave man free will and that means the ability to chose to do evil. He is available to help us deal with pain and sorrow if we believe in him. Some say God doesn't give us a burden that is too big to handle. I question that sometimes. That free will also means we can choose not to believe in him at all if thats what we want. That still does not make it right to slams others who do. The mother and child wanted to find each other, they did and are extremely happy about it as well as both the extended families. Families having joy in their lives is pretty much a miracle in this day and age. If you can't be happy for them move on to another story that matches your spit and venom a little better and have a nice day!!

Oh yet ANOTHER wonderful article ruined by those who feel the need to hijack the newsvine to express their religious debates.

I don't think anyone would have said anything until someone brought up the "God is in control" and "Thanks be unto God" bit.

Carolyn, I appreciate your frustration, but here in a public and open forum, that's what people do - that's why it exists. Free and open (and hopefully respectful, but not always) debate.

It's healthy, Carolyn, because even the Bible challenges us to ".... study the scriptures daily whether those things were so..." (Acts 17:11).

For a person who doesn't believe, it is only natural to ask questions when someone comes along after a train wreck where everyone but a single baby is killed, and then begins shouting "It's a Miracle!!" For someone who doesn't 'believe', the Natural question would Have to be: "Wouldn't you have called a miracle, NOT allowing the thing to happen at all?" An entirely fair question.

I'm sorry you felt that the article was 'ruined' by free and open debate, where all opinions are presented and challenged.... and that we all didn't move in, lock-step, behind the "miracle movement". But there are certain evidences which demand verdicts... and this is one of them.

But I guess that is not news worthy enough for msnbc.

I agree with Adams122.

So write a book or sell the story to a magazine about it and get it published. I think it would be worth it for you and your family, and others who endured the foster care system then and whatever hell your sister in Mexico may have endured--it reminds me of the first chapter of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" when everyone is asking why a slave buyer is buying little boys. With all the girls in Mexico, why buy one in the United States? If it's well-written and goes through a good agent, we might be watching you on the Today show in a few years and reading a chapter here.

And I'd certainly not wait for your dad to die before getting started. (Were you and your sisters triplets? And what happened to your mom?)

Do they still print the TRUE CONFESSION type mags? There ya go!

What is the matter with you people? Are you incapable of empathy or compassion? Obviously, Rem is hurting badly.

Are you even human?

@jerri-1, of course they are human, what a curious question???

You are a wonderfully unselfish woman to do that for him, rather than not wanting him to be able to find her and perhaps want to be with her. You are a good woman, and a great mother. Be Blessed.

Amen Wanda, Tonya is a wonderful human being. Sometimes people just believe that the child they are having would be better off for whatever reason with someone else. People who make that decision are wonderful as well. Give a child a chance. It is wonderful though that Tonya, you share that child with his biological mother. As long as she gave him up for the right reasons and was only doing what was best, you are a gracious person.

Good for U Tonya....God Bless!!!

10 SIBLINGS??? Who is paying for these kids? I apologize, what you have done and are doing is truly wonderful and I commend you. My shock (and other emotions) are towards one woman having 11 kids??? If she had/has the capacity to support them great, happy for them. But that is obviously NOT the case here. Problem is, no matter what we may do, her children are the only ones who will suffer. Holy Crap that is a lot of kids!

ToddM43

sounds like she had 11 kids for the sake of adopting them to families who are unable have their own, not very hard to figure out....

You go girl! We need more people in the world that are willing and able to be compassionate and caring. Your sons a lucky kid. Wish all kids could find a spot to land half as soft as your home!

ok rem u got ur story told and the attention u craved. there r many stories out there better or worse than urs. that 1 just happened 2 make the cut. lose the bitterness and make urself happy. no1 can do it 4 u and if attention is what it takes u will stay sad 4ever.

I'll bet your daughter has a sweet life now. May she always know love, and have a loving heart.

Some day she will be so grateful to you when she learns she was abondoned to die like the million missig girls (now women) in China where males are so prefered. She will realize you really are the ones who gave her life. I hope she knows how much you have given to make her life beautiful in this great country.

@marie, did you mis-type that? My first thought after reading was, "What the HECK are you talking about?"

My daughter is 30+ and has never once wanted to contact her biological parents. Different strokes for different folks

My daughter is 30+ and has never once wanted to contact her biological parents. Different strokes for different folks

I too have never sought out my biological parents. I was privileged to have wonderful adoptive parents who loved me. Sure, it would be interesting to know something, especially to see a resemblance and know the complete story. I've always been one to let sleeping dogs lie though. Why open a can of worms? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Need to read any more cliches? I am blessed and I'm grateful. Thank you biomother for adopting me out and not leaving me in some bathroom or trash can.

One more cliche for you, love. Your (adoptive) mom might not have grown you inside her body, but she has always held you in her heart.

How would you answer the question of your family medical history-- or are you planning to be healthy all your life and never need any medical treatment. I never did know my parents' medical history-- and they were my biological parents. I have been asked for that when I have had some procedures at the hospital and I just look dumb and reply "DUH".

@Mo, I liked your comment both times. :)

My mother was adopted. She had no interest in finding her family. When she married my step dad she found out her new mother in law had at one time been her biological moms neighbor. My mom insisted that her mother in law was to keep everything she knew of the biological parent to herself. AS far as she was concerned the people she grew up with were her parents, end of story. I myself am curious about her biological family but never questioned her much about it as I respected her choice to let it go.

Someone has to give up the baby/child for adoption. Unfortunately, I've known girls who wanted to adopt out their babies, but relatives forced them to keep them. "We take care of our own. This will teach her responsibility. You're not giving my grandchild away."

And the kid gets passed around from family member to family member, or goes into foster care when the state has to step in, or there's an endless parade of boyfriends and step-dads who disappear, and step-siblings and half-siblings. And even when the state steps in, rarely does the child go up for adoption, and then only a rare, select few can undo the hurt and the harm that the child has gone through.

She couldn't understand how a naïve dairy farm girl without an education could have such accomplished grandchildren.

The "naive dairy farm girl" made the right choice.

I have a niece who loved her baby enough to give it up. She stood up to her parents and all the pressure brought to bear to keep her baby. I'm so proud of her for doing the best thing for that baby. She knew she wasn't ready to raise a baby and let it go.

Problem is, ElkMeadow, she had no CHOICE. She was FORCED to give her beloved baby away....

Hi EducatedVoter2,

Yes, she was forced to do it, but she also chose to accept the choice and go on with her life, and to trust the new parents with her baby.

My great-greatgrandfather had stepdaughter who a baby son in Maryland in the 1900's, and kept it. She was 14. The family tolerated her choice, and tolerated the boy, probably because he could grow up to be a farm hand and help out on the farm. I don't have any more information than that, other than the girl never married, never got an education, never got anywhere, died in her late 80s. Her son, who is supposed to have grown to adulthood and walked with a limp, died in the same town as the rest of the relatives, and buried in the family part of the cemetery, but he didn't even get a tombstone

HINT: don't confuse Grandchildren with Mom

Kendra Precise Hillard, actually they said that she was reunited in 2006 at the age of 94 so the math does add up. 17 + 77 = 94.

It is a great story but the dates are confusing. Since the article seems to highlight Minka's present age of 100, it is easy to be mislead. It says they were reunited after 77 years. I was also confused but after reading the article a second time I noticed it states she was reunited with her daughter in 2006. Since they were reunited in 2006, when the mother, Minka, was 94, the math is correct.

Kendra "Precise" Hillard? The math is precise, but you are not so precise. :)

Just what is so miraculous about getting raped then reunited with your bastard child so many years later?! Really??? The kid wouldn't have been bought into this world otherwise. I don't find anything miraculous about it. At all.

yeh? take your head out your aarse, switch on your brain & be happy for the life that was saved......May your God do the same for you....I hope the rapists dicks got theyre just deserts from MY God... A Weegie