Mother Sobs as She Hugs Son She Hasn't Seen in 17 Years
Arizona mother Amber Gonzalez is spending her first Christmas with her 17-year-old son whom she had not seen since he was a baby.
With nervous anticipation, Gonzalez waited at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, for that first glimpse of her teenage son.
Gonzalez told KPHO-TV that she had not seen her son, Damien Gonzalez, in 17 years.
After Damien’s birth, Gonzalez made the heartwrenching decision to place him in the parental care of somebody else, believing she would never see her baby again.
Years went by, and Damien, now practically a legal adult, decided he wanted to find his birth mom.
Mom reunited with son at #Phoenix Sky Harbor after 17 yearshttps://t.co/GETe7ncBNp pic.twitter.com/Gp2ILG3gJ2
— azfamily 3TV CBS 5 (@azfamily) December 24, 2019
Damien, who has been living in Salt Lake City, Utah, tracked his mother down and flew to Phoenix to spend Christmas with her.
Just days before Christmas, through tears and hugs, the pair embraced for the first time.
Gonzalez wept as she held her baby boy, now fully grown, in her arms once more.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t want to let him go.”
Damien Gonzalez finally was able to lay eyes on the woman who he had yearned to meet.
Questions that have likely weighed on the boy’s mind his entire life can finally be answered.
“It’s pretty amazing. It’s like a dream come true,” Damien said. “Ever since I was younger, I’ve always wanted this.”
The pair know they have a lot to tell one another, catching up on almost two decades of life. After 17 years apart, mother and son are eager to resume their relationship.
This holiday season will be one that Amber and Damien will forever cherish.
“It’s the best Christmas ever,” Amber Gonzalez said. “It’s not about the presents, it’s about the love.”
Damien told WPHO that he plans to relocate to Arizona so he can be closer to his mother.
We wish mother and son all the best as they celebrate Christmas together and move forward in their new relationship.
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