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American Woman Was Kidnapped By Her Babysitter, Reunites With Family After More Than 50 Years

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By Shalini

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Post overseeing for about decades for their lost daughter, this family in Texas at last found her, staying about hundreds of miles away from them in South Carolina. This surprising incident recently went viral post people online assisted Melissa Highsmith to return to her home and reunite with her family members post she was taken away when she was just a 1-year-old child.

The shocking hunt was a consequence of a kidnapping that happened to take place in Texas when Melissa’s mother, Alta Apantenco, employed a babysitter via a published newspaper advertisement. Because Alta was herself working, in an attempt to get help in raising her daughter. So, as a result, she employed a babysitter back in year .1971. But the one thing she overlooked was that Alta employed the woman without even meeting her once.

woman reunite after years of being kidnapped by babysitter

It was when Alta was not there at home, her roommate gave Melissa to the babysitter, who, as per The Guardian, supposedly the baby girl and never hear back. Although, Melissa’s family never allowed themselves to move past their girl, as they complained to the police and, for about a century, hosted parties each November on her little girl’s birthday.

They additionally began a Facebook page, bearing the name “Finding Melissa Highsmith.” With the help of the page, the family got a notification back in the year September that Melissa was living somewhere around Charleston. After the unknown tip, the family got together with Melissa, who lastly reunited with her mother, her father, and two of her siblings.

woman reunite after years of being kidnapped by babysitter

Melissa’s sibling named Victoria expressed her pain, “I couldn’t stop crying,” she continued. “I was overjoyed, and I’m still walking around in a fog, trying to comprehend that my sister [was] right in front of me and that we found her.” The other one named Sharon confessed that looking for Melissa was a mix of getting the help of the TikTok-famous 23andMe DNA test and her own looking around with the help of the public records.

Sharon Highsmith highlighted how the kidnapping of Melissa had been particularly tough for their mother. She not only lost her baby girl but additionally was also charged with killing her child. Looking for Melissa established a win for the family and also gave them a ticket to get off charges imposed on her accused mother. Sharon displayed her pain, “Our family has suffered at the hands of agencies who have mismanaged this case.” She specified her family’s further desires: “Right now, we just want to get to know Melissa, welcome her to the family, and make up for 50 years of lost time

woman reunite after years of being kidnapped by babysitter

The post looking for Melissa came to an end, and the family published an official statement. Her words showed the hurt that they had borne at the time of finding out about their lost daughter, which ranged. for more than half a century: “Never give up. Chase every lead.”

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Shalini

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Mostly found in cosy corners or near a dog. A mess of thoughts, sipping coffee from a wineglass, wild hair and often lost. Dreaming about world tours and ice-creams. Buys five books a month and reads one.