As seen in the news this week, a mother and her long lost son have reconnected after a lifetime apart. Thanks to a classified ad she placed in the newspaper, Todd Smith found his birth mother after he was given up for adoption.
On April 19, 1967, Patti Langdon was forced by her strict father to give up her newborn son when she was 22 years old and unwed. Ever since she has been haunted by thoughts of her only son. "Every April 19, I cry," she stated. "Every Mother's Day, I disappear for the day."
For the past 43 years, she searched for her son by placing a "Happy Birthday" ad in the classifieds section of the local newspaper on April 19th each year. The message was always the same which read as, "Happy Birthday Baby Boy Langdon. I've Always Loved You. Your Birth Mom, Patti Langdon." This year the message changed to include her son's name after she learned it from the adoption agency.
After decades awaiting a response, she finally received one on Monday when her birth son, Todd Smith, appeared at her front door. Smith had come across Langdon's ad by accident, when curiosity led him to do a computer search on how many babies were born at Tacoma General Hospital on his birthday. Of the 75,000 search results, he said, the first was Langdon's 2-month-old classified ad, wishing him a happy 43rd birthday.
Truly a wonderful result from a simple classified ad.
On April 19, 1967, Patti Langdon was forced by her strict father to give up her newborn son when she was 22 years old and unwed. Ever since she has been haunted by thoughts of her only son. "Every April 19, I cry," she stated. "Every Mother's Day, I disappear for the day."
For the past 43 years, she searched for her son by placing a "Happy Birthday" ad in the classifieds section of the local newspaper on April 19th each year. The message was always the same which read as, "Happy Birthday Baby Boy Langdon. I've Always Loved You. Your Birth Mom, Patti Langdon." This year the message changed to include her son's name after she learned it from the adoption agency.
After decades awaiting a response, she finally received one on Monday when her birth son, Todd Smith, appeared at her front door. Smith had come across Langdon's ad by accident, when curiosity led him to do a computer search on how many babies were born at Tacoma General Hospital on his birthday. Of the 75,000 search results, he said, the first was Langdon's 2-month-old classified ad, wishing him a happy 43rd birthday.
Truly a wonderful result from a simple classified ad.
Click here to view the news interview on ABC:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/classified-ad-leads-to-mom-son-reunion-11004004
