A woman who said she never knew she was adopted has shared the emotional moment she and her biological mom were able to meet for the very first time.
Jasmine Ricks, 29, from New Jersey, said that her adoptive parents didn’t initially share the news with her that she was adopted and that it was a childhood best friend who started her search into her past.
That best friend, Jasmine said, had told Jasmine when she was 11 that she had been her foster sister until the age of two before being adopted into a different family.
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Jasmine’s adoptive parents eventually told her the truth in her mid-teens, and when Jasmine was older, she started carrying out her own research, which led her to her adoption agency.
Through that agency, Jasmine was able to start reconnecting with her biological family – starting with her oldest sister, Tiara, who she met in Chicago in 2020.
Over the years that followed, it was also Jasmine’s dream to meet her biological mother, Angelique, 52, who she later discovered had been adopted, too.
Then, earlier this year, Jasmine and Tiara worked on a plan for her to visit Angelique, who had moved from Chicago and now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As Jasmine approached her sister Cali’s home, she was overwhelmed with emotion, as she had not met a number of her biological siblings, either.
Then, as she entered the home, she and Angelique shared an emotional first-ever hug, almost three decades in the making.
Through a series of security camera footage and videos captured by her other sisters – Beautiful, 18, Heaven, 7, and Halo, 6 – Jasmine later shared her uplifting story on TikTok.
She said: “It all came together so perfectly – it felt like I had been around them my entire life.
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“Their energy was incredible, and the love I felt was absolutely overwhelming.
“I can’t even put into words how complete I feel now.
“Seeing parts of myself in them is surreal.
“I hope my story inspires others to never give up on finding answers or building connections, no matter how much time has passed.
“For those who are adopted, I want to encourage them to explore their roots if they feel ready—it can bring a sense of healing and understanding.
“Most importantly, I want people to see the power of love, forgiveness, and family, even when it comes in unexpected ways.”