Motherhood is a true blessing, so there is not a single woman who finds it easy to give up on her baby.
Unfortunately, it is often the best decision for the child to be given to a family where he can be properly be taken care of.
This was on one 18-year-old girl’s mind when she gave birth to her son.
At that time, she was convinced that she would ensure her son’s better future if he was adopted, and 33 years later, she eventually managed to track him down and reunite with him.
Read on to learn more about this heartwarming story!
Mom Finally Meets Son She Gave Up For Adoption 33 Years Earlier
Being only 18, when Melanie Pressley became pregnant, she had to make the most difficult decision in her life.
Although she wanted to keep the baby, her then-boyfriend disagreed, claiming he will not take an active role as the father of the baby, and urged her to terminate the pregnancy.
The young woman was heartbroken, but she knew she could not financially support the child. Plus, she wanted the boy to be raised by a couple, not a single parent.
Desperate, she decided to give birth to the baby, and give it up for adoption.
On June 17, 1988, she gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. She didn’t name the baby, in order to leave that opportunity to his adoptive parents.
Even though this was not technically allowed, she held the baby boy for a few moments in her arms, and her sister took a photo of the precious moment.
For three decades, this picture was the only connection Melanie had with her son.
Meanwhile, she got married and has three other children. Yet, she has never forgotten her first son, and she often thinks about him, especially on the 17th of June.
She said:
“There was still always a little bit of that sadness in me on that day. And that’s basically the easiest way to describe it. You go through a mourning period and yet live the rest of your life mourning,”
On the other hand, her son, named Greg Vossler, lived a happy life with the adoptive family. They initially lived near, but when he was 7, they moved to Virginia. When he was 9 or 10, his parents told him that he was adopted.
He recalled:
“Maybe nine or 10 or somewhere around that age range, they shared with me the story that I was adopted and that the woman who gave me up for adoption thought I could have a better life elsewhere. “
Melanie Pressley holding her son Greg Vossler in 1988. Image Credit: Lee Ann Dewey
Yet, he was not extremely curious to get to know his birth parents, as he had a very happy life with a loving family.
At some point, he found descriptions of his birth parents, but there were no names or any other information on them.
He said that he often joked about not having a celebrity look-a-like whenever people asked him about it. Yet, there was no doubt that, in the back of his mind, there was always a little bit of wonder.
He said:
“The reason I named my first son Gregory was because he was my first blood relative that I knew. So I wanted to have that bond.”
However, back in 2018, he decided to take a DNA test using the site 23andMe to learn about his genetics. The main reason for this was his desire to learn more about his medical history since he didn’t know anything about his family health history. He knew that the site always suggests new possible DNA relatives, so one day, he finally decided to check that out, too.
Meanwhile, Melanie’s daughter Rachel knew that her mom was suffering for her long-lost son and always wanted to meet him, so she had been searching for something that might connect the two.
She gifted her mother the 23-and-me DNA test under the guise of learning more about her genetics for health reasons, as well.
Melanie’s mom had died of lung cancer despite not being a smoker or drinker, so Rachel told her mother that she should check for any red-flag genes.
Within just a few days, the site matched Greg and Melanie as potential relatives!
Melanie immediately sent Greg a message and asked about his age and birthday.
When the man confirmed that his birthday was June 17, his half-sister told him the truth: That she believed she was his birth mother.
The two started emailing each other and then switched to text messages.
Finally, in June this summer, 33 years after they were initially separated, the mother and son met.
Greg and his family drove to Ohio to meet Melanie and her family, and the reunion was incredibly emotional.
Greg Vossler (left) and Melanie Pressley (right) in June 2021. Image Credit: Chelsea Vossler
Greg said:
“Everyone’s emotional, everyone’s shaking hands or hugging. And, you know, ‘Hey, I’m your half-brother, your half-sister.’ And her oldest sister, who was instrumental in allowing Melanie to have that first picture, came up and grabbed my face. The first time in 33 years that she’s seen me. It’s an amazing feeling. And it just goes to show that there’s always room for families to grow and always room for more love within each other.”
His mother is proud of him and is not sure that she has made the right decision, as the Vossler family has raised him to be an incredible man – polite, kind, and caring.
Both, mom and son, were ecstatic to be reunited, and Greg was especially glad he finally met his blood relatives.
They now even have a plan: Melanie will go to Virginia and meet Greg’s adoptive parents and the rest of his family, too.
Greg said:
“Life has a funny way of giving you what you need and not necessarily what you want. Sometimes those wants and needs do match up, but sometimes you don’t realize what you actually need until the future. Melanie’s family coming into my life at this point has been a blessing. It’s kind of re-ignited some passions and excitement.”
His mother added:
“After finding him, I felt like my heart was just whole again. Becoming older, you kind of become a little wiser, but there is no shame in giving somebody up for adoption. There are loving couples out there that cannot have children that would love to raise a child.”
