{"id":267915,"date":"2022-05-16T16:45:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T21:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=267915"},"modified":"2022-05-15T22:51:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T03:51:34","slug":"woman-daughter-adoption-80-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/woman-daughter-adoption-80-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman reunites with daughter placed for adoption 80 years ago"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In 1939, at just 15 years old, Gerda Cole escaped to England because Jewish people were being persecuted in Vienna, Austria during World War II. At age 18, she gave birth to a\u00a0 daughter who was placed for adoption, and they have finally reunited<\/a> after 80 years.<\/p>\n

Cole was sent alone on a children\u2019s transport to England to escape the beginnings of what would become the Holocaust. A few years later in 1942, when Cole was an 18-year-old refugee, she gave birth to a daughter. Cole was advised by the refugee committee to place her baby for adoption due to her financial state. She was also told not to maintain any contact with the child, and she did as she was instructed.<\/p>\n

Cole celebrated her 98th birthday on May 7, 2022, and she had no idea that she was about to receive the best Mother\u2019s Day and birthday gift she could have ever imagined. During her birthday party that day, she was reunited with her daughter, Sonya Grist. She was also able to meet her grandson, Stephen Grist for the first time. As the family hugged, Cole repeated<\/a> the words \u201c80 years.\u201d Sonya jokingly said, \u201cDon\u2019t emphasize my age.\u201d<\/p>\n

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