After 26 years of seeking and grief, a chance encounter on TikTok dramatically changed the lives of a mother and her daughter. Patricia Kaiser, a Cape Town homeless lady featured in IOL’s Elevate HER campaign, had no idea her long-lost daughter would see her video online, creating an emotional reunion they never imagined possible.
Patricia’s daughter, now 29, was removed from her mother when she was just three years old. She had been looking for Patricia for years without luck, until one day she scrolled by a video on TikTok. In a brief moment, she saw her mother’s face.
“I have been looking for her for years,” said the daughter.
“When I saw that video, I knew it was her instantly. It felt like fate was finally giving me the chance to find her.
“I feel like I can take on the world.”
In an emotional reunion organized by IOL, mother and daughter hugged for the first time in decades. Patricia, overcome with excitement, remembered the awful day they were separated.
“The police took her when she was just a child. I never stopped searching, but I did not know where to look,” she said, tears in her eyes.
The reunion was made even sweeter by the fact that Patricia got to meet her grandson, 12-year-old Lance, for the first time.
“It’s amazing to meet him,” Patricia said, her face lighting up.
Patricia’s daughter expressed her happiness at rekindling their bond.
“We’ll visit each other often, and I want my mother to be a big part of our lives now,” she said, smiling.
Patricia, now feeling stronger than ever, echoed her daughter’s excitement.
“It doesn’t feel right to stay apart anymore. I want to be with my family,” she said.