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Kellie Forbes | Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube.com/oprah
Kellie Forbes | Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube.com/oprah

Mom Goes for Career Counseling, Unware It Will Soon Reunite Her with Son She Gave up 13 Years Ago

Stephen Thompson
May 07, 2022
10:00 A.M.

Not every mother can afford the life she projects for her offspring, which has led many women to give up their babies, but some are lucky enough to see these adoptees again. See how a mother who earnestly wished to see her son again reunites with him unexpectedly after thirteen years.

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Birthing a child is one of the most significant processes of becoming a parent, but it is merely the beginning. It involves providing financial, mental, social, almost importantly, physical support for the child.

Sometimes, birth moms, especially teenagers, give up their kids to be adopted because of a lack of such resources. For some, they are simply not ready to begin that phase of their lives but love their offspring too much to make him or them go through such torture of unpreparedness.

Picture of Kellie Forbes | Source: Youtube/ OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes | Source: Youtube/ OWN

This is the story of Kellie Forbes, whose first child was born when she was only 19. She was prepared to give up her son but wished it never happened. Many years down the line, she prayed to meet her young son again, and fate occurred when she least expected it.

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Kellie's Pregnancy Story

Kellie was born into the Robinson family. She grew up in Kanab, a small town in southern Utah. During her childhood, she experienced isolation in the small town and school.

When she became older, Kellie hatched a revenge plan. She wanted to prove otherwise to the naysayers, which led to physical relationships with any handsome man she encountered.

Picture of Kellie Forbes  | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes | Source: Youtube/OWN

At 19, the Kanab-born fell pregnant with her first child, a boy. Unfortunately, Kellie's baby daddy was one of her lovers, but they never really had deep feelings for each other, so he questioned the child's paternity and sought proof.

This was upsetting to the teenage mom, who cut ties with him and considered giving up the child. Kellie became sure of her decision when she was eight months gone.

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Picture of Kellie Forbes on her wedding day | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes on her wedding day | Source: Youtube/OWN

The expectant mom visited another single mother who lived with her parents, and there, she decided not to have the same life, as it was overwhelming. According to her:

"I saw how hard it was to play the roles of mother, daughter, sister and girlfriend and how hard it was on the baby."

Kellie, who also lived with her parents, believed that raising a son in such an environment would not be conducive. Also, she wanted him to grow up in a loving family that could afford her son the luxury he deserved.

Picture of Kellie Forbes with her husband | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes with her husband | Source: Youtube/OWN

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Once the young mother resolved to give him up, she laid down some terms: he was to be adopted as the first child to a family that practiced the LDS religion, same as hers.

Immediately he was born, the infant was taken away, and she never had the chance to hold him because in Kanab, "that's just the way they did things down there."

Picture of Kellie Forbes with her husband and kids | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes with her husband and kids | Source: Youtube/OWN

Although Kellie was not opportuned to share the instant connection with her baby, she knew a little about his adoptive parents and was glad that she could help. In her words:

"Knowing how happy they would be helped me turn a tragic situation into a way of helping someone else."

Picture of Kellie's therapaist Shauna Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie's therapaist Shauna Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

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Kellie's Future after Her Teenage Pregnancy

Despite being assured that she had made the right decision, Kellie wished she had touched her child and whispered her reason for the abandonment. She wanted to explain herself, and the adoption process hurt for years.

Somehow, she found a way to get through life and started afresh when she met her husband, Thayne Forbes. The couple welcomed three kids, Amanda, Sara, and Ben.

Baby picture of Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

Baby picture of Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

Life after that seemed perfect until the chain of events that led her to seek counseling. First, Thayne lost his grandmother in 1992; the following year, Kellie's dad died, followed by her grandmother.

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Then the couple decided to settle in their new home, doubling their mortgage. Once they did, Thayne lost his job as a systems analyst. While they struggled to stay positive, Kellie, who worked as a production control planner, also became jobless.

Picture of Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Jake Bradley | Source: Youtube/OWN

In March 1994, Kellie felt miserable, and she agreed to a career counseling from Occupational Consultants to Management; it was part of her lay-off package.

The Life-Changing Interview

The OCM referred her to 42-year-old blonde-haired Shauna Bradley, a private psychotherapist. As the women spoke, Shauna could not help but notice the resemblance Kellie shared with her adopted son, Jake.

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She admitted that they looked like twins, from their facial features to their dark hair, including dimples, freckles, brows, and eye colors. However, Shauna dismissed it, explaining to herself that there was no way they could be related. But during their second meeting, on April 13, a shocking truth became known.

Picture of Shauna Bradley with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Shauna Bradley with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

The psychotherapist asked her visitor about her plans. Kellie joked about becoming a country musician and then sat up to list a truckload of possibilities.

Eventually, the Kanab-born confessed that she dreamed of writing a book titled "The Most Precious Gift," which would detail her adoption experience.

Kellie revealed that her book is targeted at teenage pregnancies. She loved to use her experience to teach them the consequence of having sex at a young age. Again, she wanted to motivate teenage moms to consider "adoption as a positive option" instead of abortion.

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Picture of Shauna Bradley and Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Shauna Bradley and Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

Kellie shared her story with Shauna, who displayed sympathy for her client. Shauna became emotional, and she confessed that it was because she was an adoptive parent.

As the conversation progressed, Kellie talked about how she could not hold her son after delivering him in Kanab. Mentioning the town brought back memories to Shauna, who beckoned for clarity while being unable to handle the shocking coincidence.

Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/OWN

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Once Kellie noticed, she asked if her birth son was Shauna's adoptee. The response was positive, and both women hugged each other while sobbing.

Kellie wanted to know about her firstborn, and she bombarded her therapist with many questions. On the other hand, Shauna welcomed the inquiries, satisfying her client's curiosity.

Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/ OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/ OWN

The women spoke at length about Jake's likes and development. They departed at the end of the day, both eager to share the news with their partners.

Thayne, who was already aware of the adoption after meeting Kellie, comforted his wife; they decided not to tell their kids yet until a counsel from a professional. Shauna, who pledged to keep the news a secret until when 14-year-old Jake turned 18, shared it with her husband, Jim.

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Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/ OWN

Picture of Kellie Forbes with Jake | Source: Youtube/ OWN

Kellie Reunites with Her Son

At first, Shauna and her husband thought about waiting for four more years before breaking the news to Jake, and soon, they reconsidered the decision. One fine morning, after Jake woke up, they cuddled him and shared the unbelievable experience with the teenager.

The young man's face lit up instantly; he flooded them with questions about his birth mom and was excited to show his friend photos of what she looked like.

Without skipping a beat, the family scheduled a reunion. On the set date, Jake met his birth mother at a restaurant and presented her with a violet. The duo hugged each other tightly and were emotional.

A few days later, the Bradley and Forbes family met at a recreational center. The big reunion included their kids, who acted like they had known Jake for a long time.

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