Adopted Boy with Down Syndrome Is Pleasantly Surprised to Be Reunited with His Biological Mom

A teenager with Down syndrome could barely control his emotions after opening a car door to discover his birth mom one year after his adoption.

The Down syndrome adoption network has helped take many kids with the condition out of foster care to enable them to experience familial affection. Closely supporting this cause is the Pinkerton family, which has taken in at least five boys with the condition in the last decade.

The latest in their brood was 16-year-old Devlin Cropley, whom they met last year, making their first contact via FaceTime. Shannon Pinkerton, 50, spent the following weeks communicating with the teenager and his mom, Robin Barrett.

Under the guidance of some social workers, the mom of five eventually welcomed Devlin into her home in Wyoming in October 2020.

Notably, the boy was not prepared to leave his biological mom behind in Boston, Massachusetts. The boy missed his mom for the next few months and never shied away from voicing it out to his new family.

However, the COVID-19 restrictions and the distance between them made it impossible for mother and son to meet up. Eventually, the Pinkertons found a way to bridge that gap, especially as the pandemic was easing off in various states.

They planned a surprise reunion for the teen on September 12, almost a year after the separation. The Pinkertons purchased a flight ticket to Wyoming for Devlin's mom to fly to Boston.

After making the trip, they hid her in the car's back seat parked outside Devlin's favorite restaurant. A video shared by Shannon on TikTok captured the emotional moment.

The clip showed Devlin pacing outside the restaurant. Spotting his adopted mom, he walked towards her as she voiced how much she missed him. As the boy admitted he missed her too, Shannon urged him to pick up her bag from the backseat.

However, when the boy pulled the car door open, what awaited him was not a bag, but his biological mom, whom he had yearned for, for months.

He quickly threw himself into her arms, calling her mom. Following the heartwarming reunion, Robin stayed with the Pinkertons for five days before journeying back to Boston.

She left her son behind again, knowing he was much happier with his new siblings, including Julian, 18, Joey, 21, Cameron, 21, Anthony, 22, and 25-year-old Tracee.

Several TikTok users have reacted to the post, which has garnered over 844 thousand views. Commenting on the post, one TikToker wrote:

"You're a true blessing. His bio mom knew you were who he needed and you knew he still needed her. What a beautiful story!"

Others admitted the reunion moved them to tears, especially Devlin's reaction, which conveyed excitement and disbelief all at once. One commenter shared:

"If only ten percent of the world had your heart, imagine how much better it would be. Thank you and God bless you."

While many consider Shannon and her husband angels for taking in kids with Down syndrome and giving them a family, the couple believes they were only contributing their bit to society by doing what was required.

They hoped their actions would create awareness about adoption, especially those involving kids with special needs.