Parents Give Up Their Baby after Seeing His Disfigured Face — He Finds & Thanks Them Years Later

When an adoptive father asked his son if he would like to meet his biological father, who was on the phone, years of unanswered questions finally became clear as Sam Ettore was reunited with his birth parents.

John and Hope Ettore adopted their son, Sam, in 2005 from Vietnam. Sam had life-threatening health challenges when they adopted him, and they knew they had to help him as best they could.

Since his arrival in Ramona, California, Sam underwent eleven operations to restore his health. He and his adopted brother, Josiah, and four other siblings live happily with their adopted parents.

In 2005, Sam was born prematurely with a life-threatening facial tumor, which his birth parents in Vietnam didn't feel equipped to handle. They decided to give him up for adoption, even though it hurt them deeply. Years later, Sam finally met his birth parents because of his adopted mother's dying wish.

How Did Sam Meet His Birth Parents?

While the Ettore family is happy, they face an enormous challenge: Hope is dying of cancer. She has been fighting two types of cancer since 2015. Now, doctors have told her she only has months to live.

Hope said it was one of her dying wishes to find Sam's birth parents and have them meet their son. She shared:

"Absolutely. I knew those parents would love, love, love to know how he is doing."

Hope and John took to Facebook to complete this mission, with the help of a friend in Vietnam. They shared Sam's story on the social media site in Vietnam, and just a day later, someone responded saying they knew Sam's birth parents. And within 48 hours, the Ettores were in touch with Sam's birth parents.

What Did Sam's Birth Parents Say?

Although Sam's birth parents are no longer a couple, they were interested in meeting their son, and both FaceTimed him to meet him. When John asked Sam if he wanted to talk to his birth father, Sam thought his parents were messing with him.

Sam's mother was in tears as she greeted him and told him he looked like his uncle. He also learned that he has two biological siblings. He also had a twin brother, whom his parents had kept, but died eventually.

Sam also showed his mother where the tumor he was born with had been removed from his face, and Hope said:

"This is where the tumor was; they did a really good job."

Sam also spoke to his father and asked whether or not he had any grandparents who were still alive. He learned many things from his biological parents, who even came back to the orphanage several times after they gave Sam up, and one detail was more interesting than most.

As he spoke to his birth parents, he learned his birthday was actually May 27, which meant Sam, who thought he was still 17, had already turned 18.

Sam thanked his birth parents for doing their best for him. When he spoke to his mom and dad, Sam was lost for words, but once he found out he was an adult already, he said:

"I'm really sorry you had to make a hard decision putting me up for adoption, but you guys are the ones that— and my adopted family—are the ones that saved my life, and I'm grateful for you guys."

The Ettore family soon took a trip to Vietnam, where Sam met his birth parents in person, as well as his grandparents and other family members, and toured around the country where he was born.

His story and photos of him meeting his biological family were shared on Facebook, where he gained much attention. Many Facebook users sent messages of encouragement and congratulations to Sam and his families, both adopted and biological. What a heartwarming story!

Although Sam's adoption story is a happy one, not everyone has the same experience. One woman was stolen by a fake nurse at birth and was finally reunited with her mother decades later. Read the full story here.