HOUSTON – What the recently unified family says began as a tragic story now has a beautiful outcome that came full cirlce right behind the doors of Hobby Airport.
Now, the man at the center of it all, has found a way to spread the love.
”It’s overwhelming,” said Houston Firefighter Tyler Graf, who was once a motherless child.
Now he has two moms.
”I didn’t know this was ever possible,” said Carol Graf, Tyler’s adoptive mother.
KPRC 2 first brought you Graf’s story last year when he shared that he was born with the name Sergio, but ripped from his family as part of a kidnapping ring in Chile back in the 80s, and placed for adoption in America.
SEE ALSO: Local firefighter reconnecting with family in Chile after being taken at birth
”I feel like I’ve been in some ways cheated,” Graf said last year.
Now, all the way from Chile, and all the way from Colorado, for the first time Hilda Quezada the mother who birthed him, and Carol Graf Carnish, the mother who raised him, both got to hug their son and each other.
”[We’ll] share our son,” Carnish said to Quezada.
”I feel better now, and thank you Carol for raising my son,” Quezada said.
”You did all the work, you had him,” Carnish responded.
Graf’s sister Claudia Antonio grew up with their biological, mother in Chile, she was also there at Hobby Airport for the special moment, overcome with emotion.
”This is one of the most beautiful and strongest experiences for both mothers,” she said.
Since learning about his biological family, Graf has since started a non-profit called Connecting Roots that helps reunite kids that were taken or separated from their parents at birth.
”So far, in eight months, we’ve reunited 27 families, next week we hope to reunite six others,” Graf said.
Graf says he wants others like him to be able to find the same fulfillment he did, but most importantly, love.
“I had him for 39 years, now we have him together,” Carnish said.
”I’m very lucky, and our goal is to help reunite as many families as possible,” Graf said.
After leaving the airport, the entire family enjoyed a home-cooked Chilean dinner.
After spending some much-needed quality time, Graf says he plans to get back to work helping other families reunite.
