We frequently hear amazing tales of people reuniting with relatives after a
long absence. Seeing these reunions is always upsetting, especially when it
involves people who were split up at birth but later reunited. This is what
occurred to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania resident Stacey Faix, who is currently
in her 50s, when she had to decide over 35 years ago to place her baby boy
for adoption. It was an extremely tough decision.
Just before she started the 2018 Pittsburgh Half Marathon, Faix experienced
an unbelievable event that nearly ended her hope of ever seeing her son
again. Stephen Strawn, her biological son, presented her with a letter
stating that he had located his mother and was present to greet her after
much effort and dedication.
When Stacey Faix became pregnant, she was just fifteen years old. Like most
teenagers in such scenario, she didn't know what to do and was filled with
fear. In the end, she decided to painfully place her son for adoption. She
was not allowed to hold him at all.
She had no faith that she would locate him once more. She had no clue how
to find him, with so many infants and documents. She never imagined seeing
her son by birth. And she didn't, according to this ABC News story, until 35
years later.
In 2018, when she was standing in line for the marathon, Ohio resident
Stephen Strawn, then 35, took her by surprise by giving her an enigmatic
letter. Until she saw the letter, she was quite bewildered and didn't know
what was going on or who he was.
"It's been 13,075 days since you last saw me," the letter stated. I didn't
want to prolong your wait." Though not everyone would have deciphered the
hidden meaning, Faix was completely overcome when she comprehended what
those words meant right immediately. For the first time in more than 35
years, she could now finally embrace her son.
It appears that Strawn has attempted to locate his biological mother
previously. "I've searched for years," ABC was informed by Strawn. "There
have been no leads."
Sadly, Strawn's birth certificates were destroyed in a flood, so even after
years of searching, he was unable to locate his mother. Nonetheless, a
legislation allowing adoptees to get their birth certificate with the names
of their original birth parents was enacted in November 2017. This was the
turning point in his life since he was able to discover the name of his true
mother and started looking for her.
After 35 hard years, Strawn finally found his biological mother on April
16, a date he will never forget. He made contact right away and maintained
the momentum by contacting her the next morning.
But Strawn needed assistance from an organization he belongs to as well as
his new sisters in order to prepare and coordinate this amazing
surprise!
Strawn discovered that Faix belonged to the Team Red, White, and Blue (RWB)
chapter in Pittsburgh, which assists veterans. During the Iraq War, Strawn
was a member of the US Air Force. Having been in the military for a while,
he recognized that Strawn was another veteran who belonged to the Ohio
chapter. He was able to get in touch with the president of the Pittsburgh
chapter while his mother was participating in the Sunday marathon with Team
RWB.
"Everyone's support is amazing," Strawn said to ABC. Everything from the
ideal time to the media's readiness to cover the story to the race's
preparation was made possible by the organization for him. For something
that was such a unique and unforgettable occasion for him, he was very
appreciative of everyone's efforts.
All Strawn needed to do was conceal himself. And the ideal place to hide?
This one was covered by his wife. When his wife signaled for him to come
outside and meet her, he realized it was time to go meet her. He had hidden
behind a portable restroom near where his mother was standing.
"I started crying and was quite choked up. She added, "I never got to hold
you," as we were embracing, and it almost broke my heart. It wasn't advised
for her to hold me since it was a prearranged adoption, Strawn
recounted.
Recalling that momentous day when Faix placed her child for adoption, she
spoke with ABC station WTAE. "They recommended against me holding him, and
they didn't want me to." She went on to express the significance of their
hug to her, stating, "So I finally got to hold him." After believing you
might never get to see your kid, we can only image how it would feel to hold
them in your arms once more! the material for dreams. Faix went on, "Don't
lose hope for the parents who had to give up their children for whatever
reason."
The prospect of seeing his biological sisters thrilled Strawn too. They
were instrumental in preparing the surprise as well. During their time
together, they had a collective "ugly cry."
Due to their ability to complete the marathon together, Faix and Strawn
will always remember it. Following the marathon, they enjoyed a delicious
barbecue together. According to Strawn, there was a lot more sobbing that
wasn't so pretty, but they also had a lot of conversation.
Strawn and his spouse returned to Pittsburgh to commemorate the graduation
of one of their biological sisters from college and to spend time with their
relatives.
As he considered the entire scenario and its outcome, Strawn remarked,
"It's something you see in the movies." Every detail was flawless. We hope
they have many more reunions in the future to make up for missed time. This
one is fantastic. It's a sweet reminder that miracles can and do occur, even
when you believe something is impossible or have given up hope.
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