«Happy birthday Susan. We have celebrated many birthdays together, but this one is really special: we have reunited with your family ». On September 17 Hamilton Gervaise posted a photo on Facebook, accompanied by an emotional message: in the image of her, his wife Susan is portrayed with her siblings found after 53 years. The woman, now 57, was only 4 years old when she was taken away from her biological family in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, by a couple of travelers who invited her to go with their vacation at Disney’s Orlando amusement park. in Florida. In the United States, however, she never arrived there. She lived between Canada, Australia and New Zealand, believing her fake parents who had always told her they had adopted her. She never went home. Just a few days ago the happy ending: she was able to reunite – and meet – four of her six biological brothers of hers in West Yorkshire.
The kidnapping
The little girl lived with her mother and six brothers in an old rectory which had become a refuge for travelers. A couple of family friends, two Scots, one day asked Susan’s birth mother for permission to take her on a trip with them to Florida and promised to bring her back to England. the woman handed them Susan’s birth certificate for them to add to their passport. “At the time, to take a child abroad – she explained -, a parent’s permission and a birth certificate were enough”. The couple left together with little Susan, but they never got there in the United States. They have lived with Susan between Canada, Australia and New Zealand, always assuring her that they have adopted her.
Only when Susan turned 16 did she discover the truth: “I needed to renew my passport to return to Australia from New Zealand – said the woman -, I applied but I needed my mother or father’s signature to obtain the document: it was then that my father told me that they had not adopted me, but that they had stolen me ». Susan had to wait until she was of age to apply for a passport and return to Australia, where a few years later she met the man who would become her husband and father of her three children.
The search and the appeal of the husband
After the tragic disappearance, Susan’s biological family never lost hope. But the incredible reunion came thanks to an appeal launched on Facebook by Susan’s husband, Hamilton Gervaise, who from Australia – where the couple still lives – addressed the local community of Knottingley and Ferrybridge. Just under 30 minutes after sharing the post, Susan’s relatives in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, responded to the call.
The reunion
It was then just a matter of organizing the family reunion and the journey to reach Susan’s brothers, which Hamilton documented step by step on Facebook. “Are you excited?” He asks his wife in some videos. “A little,” she replies. The woman met 4 of her 6 siblings and celebrated her 57th birthday with them. The biological mother sadly passed away 8 years ago, unaware that Susan was safe and sound. “Well, today is a very exciting day for Susan as she will be reunited with her brothers and sisters after missing from there for 53 years,” Hamilton wrote on Facebook to announce the family reunion. This photo shows how small she was the last time she saw her. You will be thrilling ».
“To date, I don’t know why the police were not involved – was Susan’s comment -. Maybe because my mom had given permission and my certificate. Even after moving, I know that my mother often came back to the rectory to look for me ».
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