One family recently shared an extraordinary moment on TikTok, and now we're all crying happy tears. Allie Murphy Seabock, who goes by @allieseabock, posted a clip on the social media site on February 27 showing her mother and the biological daughter she gave up for adoption reuniting for the first time in 29 years. The tearful reunion occurred in 2018, but it was just shared with the world last month. The video has already amassed nearly 14 million views, and so many followers have been touched by the incredible moment.
Through a series of question-and-answer videos, Seabock and her mom, whose name we don't know, talk, and she explains why she never told her other children about her daughter Jamee. The baby was born when her mom was 19 years old. The mom and Jamee's adoptive family chose a closed adoption, but DNA testing ultimately brought the two women back together.
The mother kept her story private from her other children.
Before Jamee contacted her biological family, Allie and her three siblings knew nothing about her. Her mom said that Jamee's mom had contacted her on Facebook and told her that her daughter was looking for her biological mother and that they thought it might be her.
Allie's mom was stunned and immediately went home to call her sister. Allie's mom didn't explain any details to her sister, just texted her a photo. She hadn't spoken about the daughter she gave up for adoption in almost 30 years but had confided in her sister Kim way back when.
The sister began to cry and knew right away. "That's your baby," she said.
The mom always hoped that Jamee would find her.
She explains that although she did not feel guilty about giving up her baby for adoption, she always worried and wondered. She hoped the little girl was living with a family who loved her. She did not ever try to find Jamee on her own because she wanted it to be her decision.
"I didn't want anything forced, but I prayed daily that she would find me," she says.
Allie and her brother talked about their experience finding out about Jamee.
After being contacted by Jamee's mother and knowing they would reunite, the mom told her family she had had a baby many years ago. Allie said her mom gathered the kids together because she had something to tell them. She began sobbing and confessed the secret she had held onto for so many years.
Her brother said, "I knew instantly she gave up a baby." Allie thought she had committed a crime. A baby never crossed her mind. The mom then shared photos with her kids, who were in complete shock.
The meeting was emotional.
Some time later, the family gathered, waiting for Jamee and her family to arrive. It was magic when they arrived on their doorstep.
It's immediately obvious the mother and daughter share many physical similarities, as they share their first tearful embrace, undoubtedly filled with so much love. The clip is shorter than a minute, but it is hard not to feel 29 years of a mother's love all wrapped up into one very-anticipated hug.
There are a lot of similar stories of adopted children wanting to find their biological families.
The viral video has nearly 18,000 comments from followers sharing their own stories of adoption.
"I'm bawling. I have a sister who is 4 years older than me. My mom had her at 16 and same thing, private adoption. My mom thinks about her often," someone wrote about her own mother.
"I hope my son finds me. I wish it every year on my birthday & his. He'll be 29 this May ❤️This made me cry. I'm so happy for y'all," a mom commented.
"Thank you for being so welcoming and loving toward her. My bio mom told me the worst day of her life was when her gpa's dog died, not giving me up," another comment reads.
Modern technology has allowed the mother and daughter to reunite and to have a relationship they otherwise may never have experienced. Their tearful reunion shows that no matter how much time passes, a mother's love can endure.
