Last updated on July 31st, 2024 at 05:02 am
A woman who moved to the U.S. to start a new life for her family shared an emotional surprise reunion with her mom after more than a quarter of a century apart.
Patricia Manzanero, 53, left her native Mexico to move to Los Angeles, California, in 1999, hoping to build a life with her husband for their daughter and future kids.
Due to immigration policies, Patricia couldn’t return to visit her family in Mexico, which added additional emotional strain every year that passed, according to her daughter, Lizeth, 23.
And Patricia’s mom couldn’t visit the United States because of health and financial reasons, which made Patricia even more determined to secure her residence in the U.S. so she could return home.
When that was approved in 2023, she started to make plans to return home – but she did not tell her mother, Rosa, 73, that she had solidified a date to visit.
Patricia opted for May 10, Mexican Mother’s Day, and with the help of her aunts, was able to return to the city of Nicolás Romero.
Having been collected from the airport, Patricia was driven to her mother’s house, where Rosa was outside washing her car.
READ MORE: Sisters Travel to Mexico for First Meeting with Grandparents After Two Decades
She was encouraged to head over to the vehicle containing Patricia, and as soon as Rosa saw her daughter’s face, she immediately burst into tears before heading in for an emotional hug.
Lizeth captured her grandma’s surprise on video, along with another emotional reunion between Patricia and her sister, Sabrina.
Lizeth said: “The moment I saw my grandma, I was excited to be able to witness this reunion.
READ MORE: Man Returns Home To Mexico To Surprise Family After 34 Years Away
“But the moment I saw my mom and the way she looked and her mom, I was filled with joy and sadness – I saw my mom as a little girl who desperately missed her mom.
“The digital response has been positively amazing with people commenting on and expressing their similar situations, with parents or themselves not being able to visit their own families.
“People expressing their joy that my family has been able to find each other again.
“They’re even supporting each other in the comments. It’s all quite beautiful.”