Man, 30, Gets Message with His Baby Photo from Stranger Claiming He's His Brother

Thirty years after his adoption into a Canadian family, a man received a text message that changed his life forever, leading him to his biological family.

Three decades ago, Michael Honroe Prentice, the youngest of six siblings, was torn away from his large family and given up for adoption at only five weeks old.

A Canadian couple, Susette and David, happily took him in, giving him a name and a home for the next thirty years of his life. They also gave him a brother, Jordan, who they adopted at 18 months old around that time.

A CHANCE DISCOVERY

Prentice grew up in the small town of Flesherton, Ontario, recognizing his adoptive parents and brother as his only family despite their different races. That soon changed decades later.

On a fateful day in March 2020, the 30-year-old received a message on LinkedIn from someone claiming to be his brother. The person accompanied the text with baby photos of Prentice, asking if he recognized the baby as himself.

The young man nursed some doubts for a while but eventually accepted his new reality. He discovered he hailed from Haiti and had five siblings scattered across countries.

LURED BY THE PAST

The discovery gave Prentice a new mission. He spent the next few months reconnecting with his long-lost siblings. Notably, the man’s adoptive parents were unaware of the details about his family before then.

During the adoption, all they were told was that Prentice’s mom died giving birth to him, while his poor father could barely tend to his needs, prompting the family to give him up.

UNITING THE BROOD

Prentice’s elder brother, Eloi Ferguson, who was also adopted by a white couple as a child, spent fifteen years in search of him.

He began his search at nineteen, with the help of his adoptive parents, and soon discovered some distant relatives living in America. Uncovering a family photo with the name "Prentice" written on it became the piece needed to solve the puzzle.

It only took a Google search to find the young Canadian and details about him, including his social media accounts.

THE HUNT FOR TRUTH

Since finding his family, Prentice has made some extraordinary discoveries. He learned he had five brothers, two of whom were given up for adoption like himself.

Two grew up in Haiti, one with their grandmother, one with their aunt, while the oldest of the brood, Ezekiel, was sent to work on a farm in the Dominican Republic.

However, the most surprising discovery was that their mom was still alive and lived in a care facility due to her deteriorating mental health.

Eloi was able to find most of the puzzle pieces, including the whereabouts of three of the siblings, before contacting Prentice. He also proved helpful in finding the final two despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Eventually, all six brothers embraced their new reality and reunited, marking the start of a new phase in their lives.