A woman who was adopted to America as a baby shared an emotional reunion hug with her birth mom in Peru after 32 years apart.
Ashley DiNunzio, from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, was adopted by a family who could not have children of their own and so turned to an international adoption agency in Peru.
Growing up, Ashley was always aware she had been adopted – her parents had blonde hair and blue eyes; she had black hair and dark eyes – but her family were always open and honest about her background.
At 13, Ashley was given a photo of her birth mother, and though she said it hurt to think that her biological mom never wanted to look for her, she made acceptance with the fact that she was very poor and could not have kept her as a baby.
It wasn’t until she went to Peru with her family on vacation, Ashley said, that she made peace with her adoption story – but whenever she would look up her biological mom’s name, she could never find her.
Shortly after that trip, Ashley suffered heartbreak, when her adoptive mom passed, and she said she was faced with a conundrum: a deeper search for her biological mom could bring a mother figure in her life; but that could also lead to the sad reality of discovering she may have passed, too.
In 2020, Ashley was in a serious car accident that caused years of health crises, including an initial stroke and numerous surgeries.
Ashley had tasked her partner to continue the search for her biological mom, and in 2024, after she suffered a second stroke, Ashley received the news that her biological mom’s name, address and telephone number had been found in a 2016 document online.
She asked her partner to write a letter to her biological mom in Spanish; to add a phone number, a baby photo, and a recent photo; and to only tell her if good news had been received.
In May 2024, Ashley suffered a third stroke and said she was “giving up on life,” but doctors informed her that they could carry out life-saving surgery to stop this from happening the following morning.
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That night, her birth mom called.
Over the months that followed, Ashley’s health improved and she and her biological mom struck up conversation through the likes of translator apps.
In early 2026, Ashley then planned a trip to Ica, Peru, where she was set to meet her biological mom, Aurelia Victoria Mayuri Pacheco, 68, for the first time in more than three decades.
Ashley’s partner traveled with her to Peru to capture the moment, on January 17.
Ashley stood outside her biological mom’s home and eagerly awaited the door to open, and soon as the pair locked eyes, both Ashley and Aurelia saw beaming smiles come across their faces, and they headed in for a warm embrace.
In speaking to her biological mom, Ashley said she has discovered a “beautiful person,” and has learned of the “trauma, hardships, poverty, and pain” that Aurelia has gone through.
Having taken time out of her schooling following her accident, Ashley is now planning complete her studies and then help support Angelia financially.
Speaking of the reunion, she said: “It was like a feeling that does not even have enough words to describe.
“It was like a piece of me that needed healing and so many unanswered questions in that moment did not even matter because for that moment time just stood still and healed what was broken inside.
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“My birth mom gave me up for a better life in America, and my adoptive mom gave me a wonderful life here.
“It’s been my goal to always make both my mothers proud of that decision.
“Friends who have known my story from my mom passing in 2018 to now have nothing but happiness for me.
“My dad especially was thrilled I was going to meet her as he said, ‘Mom would be happy.’
“Everyone has been waiting on this moment for me and it’s amazing to see the love and support especially from strangers online.”
