Adopted man learns he was stolen from birth mom in Chile | Nightline

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Published 2022-04-12
As a baby, Tyler Graf had been stolen and placed for adoption as part of a government sanctioned plot in Chile. He is now on a journey to reconnect with his biological mother.

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All Comments (21)
  • @tjejen36
    I was adopted from Chile to Sweden when I was 7 years old. Unfortunately my adoption was not legal as my parents were taken from me and I was sold up for adoption. I have two identities and today I have found all my family. I reunited with my family in October 2022... ❤️It was a strong meeting with my mother, father and all my siblings ♥️
  • I can't imagine the pain his mother must feel when they can't even understand each other because they don't speak the same language. What a terrible crime. What an irretrievable loss.
  • Same happened to me. Stolen at birth by my State's contracted Adoption Agency then given to a 'high profile' person who was already a known child molester and spent the next 16 years torturing me. When I recovered my adoption file 40 years later, I was as heartbroken as I was enraged, he was finally criminally convicted last July but nothing can ever replace what he took from me forever.
  • "I wondered if he was loved, if he was fed well, if he spent time cold." That's a mom for sure. 😭💔
  • The way she always holds him is breathtaking. She’s never stopped loving him. ❤️
  • @Corellian
    When the mother said "...I wondered if he ate well..." the tears just started coming because that's exactly how my mother and abuela would think, they never stop thinking about me and my siblings no matter how old we are (we are all married and in our 30's-40's), and to show affection through food is such an essential part of their love for us. Aw man, I need to call my mom.
  • @cheetajet320
    I wasn't stolen, but I was given up for adoption at birth. I lived a very good life with the best parents. I always wondered about my mom. Then I did a DNA test at a popular family thing. Two years later, I got matched with my mom! We talked right away and then I flew out and stayed with her and her family for two weeks. It was the most beautiful thing. She was told I had died in a car wreck when I would've been 19. I thought that was so incredibly sad but I made her laugh because I've never even had a ticket! I was able to celebrate my 50th Birthday with her! She said it was the only Birthday of mine she didn't cry. She caught Covid and died shortly after. That was the toughest thing I went through up to that point. What a joy though, that I got to have her in my life for even just a few years. Both families are born again Christians, so I believe I'll see her again some day. One of the touching memories is when my mom got to talk to her over the phone and she thanked her for me. I don't think I've ever cried like that before. What an adventure. My life is a show on Hulu!
  • @tukitoria01
    I know this lady personally. We were friends for 5 years but lost contact. I know her story is true. Nothing makes me happier than the news that she met her son, finally! !
  • He looks so much like his mother. I am so happy that they found each other.
  • @redders6858
    “My son”. The love and pride can be felt every time his beautiful mum says those words.
  • “To a country I’ve never been to.” So sad, yes, he has been there. I’m so happy his mother is still alive to see him.
  • This made me cry 😢 she loved him forever that's what a mother's love is. Shame on the Chilean government
  • The way she says "my son" every time she is referring to him is so heart warming ❤ she is so proud of him!
  • @unclesmrgol
    The moment I saw the words "stolen" and "Chile", I knew what this was. In some other cases, the parents were "disappeared" -- murdered. This is a sad chapter in Chile's history. I'm happy the man and his family were reunited.
  • @cmarq817
    He seems very much loved by his biological mother and adoptive family.
    My heart goes specially to Dona Hilda ❤️
  • Unfortunately , he wasn’t the only 1 .. many of these children keep coming forward .🙏😞
  • Not surprising, we’ve known that many kids adopted abroad are actually stolen. That’s why I think all adoptions should be open and transparent.
  • How wonderful to find your birth mother and find out you were never given away, but stolen, and she still loves you.
  • @aliciac7053
    His mom looks like a good woman. She is very expressive and affectionate, always hugging him. Even speaking about what happened still brings her to tears. She must’ve suffered so much thinking her baby had died. I’m sad she was robbed of her infant son but glad she didn’t leave this world without knowing he was alive and seeing him.