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Lifestyle & Human Interest

Dad Refused To Let Pregnant Teen Keep Baby, She Finds Son 48 Years After Giving Him Up

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A birth mom and her son are thanking God for reuniting them almost five decades after their heartbreaking separation in Vietnam.

Thuy-Nga Thi Nibblett was a teenager when she met an American man who was serving in the military in Vietnam.

She got pregnant, and at 17, gave birth to a baby boy that her father refused to let her keep.

“He just took it right after I had him,” Nibblett told CBN News of the traumatizing day.

“When you have kid half-American, half-Vietnamese, people look down on you, especially your family,” she said.

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Nibblett’s father placed the baby in a Vietnamese orphanage, never telling Nibblett any details about her son’s whereabouts.

When the boy was 2 years old, an American couple adopted him and named him Kirk Kellerhals.

Kellerhals grew up knowing he was adopted but had no information about his birth parents.

“I’ve grown up, since I’ve known I was adopted, with the knowledge, whether real or perceived, that my parents perished in the Vietnam war,” Kellerhals said.

Nibblett never forgot about her baby boy, and spent years praying that God would somehow help her one day lay eyes on her son.

With the rise of ancestry DNA testing services, Nibblett decided to participate, hoping that perhaps it would lead her to her son.

Meanwhile, Kellerhals was also considering an ancestry test, but was reluctant to go through with it.

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Kellerhals, who now lives in Virginia Beach with his wife and children, said that his wife encouraged him to submit his information to Family Tree DNA, and he eventually agreed.

Just days after he sent in his information, Kellerhals received a life-changing email.

“I got the email from Family Tree DNA that the results were back and they had a match,” he said.

“It said parent-child match. I just kind of shook my head and said that’s a mistake. That’s impossible.”

But with God, all things are possible.

In June 2017, Nibblett drove from San Antonio, Texas, with her husband to meet her son in Virginia Beach.

“Thank you God for bringing my son to me,” an emotional Nibblett said as she embraced her son for the first time in 48 years.

She said that God has heard her prayer, and answered in his perfect timing.

“I knew that God would answer if I just keep faith and keep believing,” Nibblett said.

“God sent my son to me.”

Kellerhals said the whole experience has been “surreal,” and that it has ultimately strengthened his faith.

The two have enjoyed getting to know one another and their families, making the most of this second chance.

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A graduate of Grand Canyon University, Kim Davis has been writing for The Western Journal since 2015, focusing on lifestyle stories.
Kim Davis began writing for The Western Journal in 2015. Her primary topics cover family, faith, and women. She has experience as a copy editor for the online publication Thoughtful Women. Kim worked as an arts administrator for The Phoenix Symphony, writing music education curriculum and leading community engagement programs throughout the region. She holds a degree in music education from Grand Canyon University with a minor in eating tacos.
Birthplace
Page, Arizona
Education
Bachelor of Science in Music Education
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Lifestyle & Human Interest




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