Life can be very challenging, and that’s exactly what happened to Erin Johnson 50 years ago.
Erin was very beautiful and worked as a nurse at a small hospital in Ojai, California. Her husband Pete was an orderly at the same hospital, and they had a unique love story.
Pete and Erin first met while helping a woman give birth in the hospital stairwell. The baby was born healthy, and Pete and Erin’s love story started as the baby began its life.
They started dating, fell in love, got married, and had a son named Adrian three years later. They were happy until Pete died in a car accident.
Losing Pete was devastating for Erin. She was young and unsure how to manage everything alone. But for Adrian’s sake, she tried to stay positive and move forward.
Adrian, who was just three when Pete died, looked just like his father and was as kind and generous, though he could be a bit mischievous. Once, he hurt himself trying to save a sick dog from falling into a ditch, resulting in a scar from his cheek to his neck.
Even though Erin was proud of Adrian’s good heart, she was scared for him and didn’t want to lose him too. Then something unexpected happened.
For Adrian’s fourth birthday, Erin took him to a carnival with lots of rides and games. They enjoyed the day together, eating cotton candy, popcorn, and hotdogs. By evening, Adrian was tired and asked for water. Erin went to a crowded stall to get a bottle of water and told Adrian to wait on a nearby bench.
Erin kept checking on Adrian while waiting in line for water, but she got distracted when a stampede started at the fair. People were running everywhere, and some troublemakers were attacking shops.
When Erin heard the chaos and screaming, she turned around and couldn’t see Adrian. She rushed to the bench, but he wasn’t there.
“Adrian!… Adrian!” she yelled, but her cries were lost in the noise.
Panicking, Erin hid behind the bench when the troublemakers came near. After they left, she searched the entire fair for Adrian but couldn’t find him.
Crying uncontrollably, she called the police to report her missing son and the chaos at the fair. The police responded quickly, but they couldn’t find Adrian.
Erin did everything she could to find Adrian in the days that followed, using newspaper ads, flyers, and more, but he was never found. After a few months, the police closed the case.
Years went by, and Erin stayed in the same house for 57 years, always hoping her son would come back. Even after five decades, she still didn’t give up hope.
Erin, who used to be known as a happy woman in her neighborhood, was now old and worn out, with a face full of wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes. She lived a lonely life, spending her days walking around and fixing Adrian’s missing posters, then having tea and watching TV in the evening.
One evening, while watching a variety show, Erin was sipping her tea when the comedian guest was introduced. As she looked at his face, she was shocked and nearly dropped her tea. The comedian’s deep eyes, smile, and scar looked just like Adrian’s.
“This… this can’t be real,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “It has to be Adrian!” she cried out.
As tears streamed down her face, she covered her mouth with her hands. Even though the comedian was introduced as Henry Bruce, Erin was sure he was Adrian. A mother’s instinct knows her child, and Henry looked just like Pete!
Erin quickly called the TV station number shown on the screen. Meanwhile, Henry started his performance. As he spoke into the microphone, Erin noticed something was wrong. Henry’s smile was crooked and his face looked droopy.
“He’s having a stroke!” she shouted. “Someone help!” she pleaded, realizing Henry needed urgent help. Then Henry suddenly slumped, and the show was stopped abruptly.
Luckily, someone answered Erin’s call. “Take him to the hospital right away! He’s having a stroke. I’m a nurse and I was watching your show. Please text me the hospital details when he’s admitted. He’s my son! Please take care of him until I get there!” she pleaded.
“Okay, ma’am,” replied the man on the phone. He took Erin’s number and promised to update her once Henry was at the hospital.
After getting the address, Erin took a bus, but the hospital was far, and she couldn’t get there until 8 p.m. When she arrived, she rushed to Henry’s room but was stopped by his manager, who asked for her ID. Fortunately, the man who took Erin’s call earlier was there and confirmed her story, so she was allowed to see Henry for five minutes.
Erin thanked them and sat by Henry’s bedside, holding his hands and recalling their past. “Adrian, you’ll be okay soon,” she whispered through her tears. “I’m here and I won’t leave you again.”
Henry didn’t wake up that day, but the next morning, he opened his eyes and looked around. “Mo – moth – mother…” he tried to say.
The doctor, who was with Erin, asked Henry to speak slowly. “You might have trouble talking for a while, but try to say something,” the doctor encouraged.
Henry attempted to speak but couldn’t.
The doctor checked Henry and said, “He’ll recover in a few days, but he’ll need speech therapy to get back to normal. It’s amazing that his first word was ‘mother.’ He must really care about you. Please let him rest now.”
“I’m right here, Adrian,” Erin said as she got up to leave. “I’ll come back soon…”
As she was leaving, Henry started crying and grabbed her hand.
“Do you want to say something?” the doctor asked.
Henry nodded and, with tears in his eyes, wrote a note.
“Why did you call me Adrian? I remember that name from my childhood!”
Erin cried as she read the note. “You are Adrian! I was right! Do you remember when I lost you at age four? I searched everywhere but couldn’t find you! You are my son… Adrian!”
Henry nodded and wrote another note.
In the note, he explained that his parents had told him he was adopted. He only remembered his name from when he was picked up from the side of the road and adopted.
They said he had been running after a balloon seller and nearly got hit by a car if they hadn’t stopped him. He was too young to remember much but recalled his name. He tried to find out more about his past but couldn’t get anywhere and eventually gave up. He also mentioned that he lost his adoptive parents two years ago.
Erin cried, saying, “I’m so grateful to them for raising you so well. I’m thrilled to have you back! I’m so happy!”
From then on, Erin visited Henry (Adrian) every day until he was discharged from the hospital. After his release, Erin moved in with him.
Now a grandfather and a widower after losing his wife to cancer, Adrian introduced Erin to his family. His only daughter, who was married and living abroad, welcomed Erin warmly. Although Erin was sad about missing so many years with her son, she was overjoyed to be with him again.
Later, Adrian was invited back to the same show, where he shared the story of being reunited with his mother. The audience was moved to tears.
Source: positivityoflife
