Valerie Leatherwood was just 20-years-old back in the 60’s. She worked at a nursing home run by nuns when she found out she was pregnant. Her supervisor disapproved of the situation and sent her off to another town to work as a nanny to keep her pregnancy a secret.

For the next 52 years, Valerie told no one about the pregnancy or birth of her daughter. She thought it was a secret she would take to her grave. Not even her family knew.

Decades later, Valerie had moved on with her life and started a family. But when her niece and brother sent DNA samples to Ancestry.com, everything would change.

Valerie’s daughter found the results and approached Valerie’s sister, Diana, with a question. She wanted to know if anyone in their family had given up a baby for adoption.

Diana had no idea that the person she was talking about was her sister. The reunion that ensued was more than Valerie could have ever imagined. She finally got to meet her daughter Mia.

Be sure to share this heartwarming story with your family and friends. This just goes to show that we should never give up.