A surprising story about an unexpected family reunion, which managed to overcome an accusation of “baby theft”, lies and even threats, hits social networks.

It is about a man in the United States, where he learned his true origins at the age of 40, who took him to Chile to receive the hugs he did not have as a child.

As a baby, he was taken on his mother’s lap and was taken from that country. Today, Scott Lieberman lives in San Francisco, United States, from where he told CNN about his case, which may well inspire the script for a television series.

What happened in Chile

Scott Lieberman grew up on the wrong story.

I lived 42 years of my life not knowing it was stolen, not knowing what happened in Chile in the 70s and 80s, and I want people to know (…). There are families that can still be reunited.

Scott Lieberman to CNN

His birth took place during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

He was born to a humble woman who was 23 years old. The woman gave birth on August 21, 1980 at the Providencia Clinic in Santiago.

When her mother, Rosa Ester Mardones, learned of her second pregnancy and was alone in the BíoBío region, she knocked for help.

Her steps led her to meet some nuns from a convent. “Those nuns offered her a job with a doctor in Santiago de Chile.”

While in the capital, Rosa Ester was visited by a social worker.

According to Jenny Escalona, ​​also Rosa Ester’s daughter, “the social worker made the mother sign several documents”.

The moment of childbirth came and on August 21, 1980, the man the humble woman was waiting for was born. “She saw him healthy, he was born healthy,” which relieved her.

But the woman could only hold the baby on her lap for a short time.

According to Escalona, ​​”The social worker took custody and took the baby with her before her mother left the hospital.”

Rosa wanted to know more about her son and reality hit her. She was threatened by that woman. “Don’t come looking for the baby anymore, because if you do, I’ll call the police and they’ll arrest you,” he replied.

The social worker was unmanageable, unfriendly and lashed out a second time: “Your son is now in the Netherlands or Sweden. He is in another country. You are a poor single woman and you are unable to raise another child. In any case, you have renounced parental authority,” he said harshly, according to El Tiempo.

Rosa Ester lived with that pain from 1980 until her last days in 2015.

This woman also silenced her regret towards Jenny. “My mother never, ever spoke about the fact that she had a child and it was stolen from her,” she complained to CNN.

It was a painful truth that was kept for many years. In fact, I think the pain took her away

Jenny Escalona

Adoption

The child was put up for adoption and an American couple took him home as their son.

They were unaware, Scott said, of the story of the robbery that the little boy had fallen victim to.

In 2022, an unknown world opened up for Scott Lieberman. He is 42 years old and told CNN that he works as a video editor.

“At the end of last year he read a report about illegal adoptions in Chile.” That led him to think, to wonder if it was one of those cases.

He said he contacted “We Buscamos”, a Chilean NGO “that tries to reunite children who were separated from their biological parents, and found out he had a half-sister.”

He wanted to confirm, and he and Jenny Escalona “underwent DNA testing.” The result yielded irrefutable answers.

At home

That’s all he needed and he didn’t wait long. Scott took a flight to Chile, the country where he arrived on April 11.

Jenny’s hugs were not long in coming. Her face and his were covered with tears. At that meeting in Concepción, Rosa Ester, their mother, went missing.

The woman who was tricked “had died of bone cancer in 2015 at the age of 58”. He lived in the belief that his son was in Europe, as he had been told.

She knew I existed. There are other mothers who were told their children were stillborn. They do not know that their children may still be alive in another country

Scott Lieberman to CNN

Scott received twelve days of love and hugs in Chilean lands.

I feel more complete… I feel loved in a way I’ve never felt before.

Scot Lieberman

Jenny stated that she is now trying to understand why her mother wanted to live near the airports.

“She happily went to the airport and asked us to accompany her. He sat down to watch the people, especially those who arrived,” he told the American chain.

Eight years later, in this 2023, Rosa Ester received her son at her final resting place. Certainly, in that other plane in which he finds himself, his heart has been able to rest.

The moment we stared at the cemetery couldn’t be more moving: Scott and Jenny embraced like brothers in front of their mother’s grave… “Son, thank you for coming to me,” written on a mural, reads a photo provided to CNN by “We are looking for ourselves”. Peace be to you, Ms. Rosa.