Woman Reunited With Son She Thought Died At Birth 30 Years Ago

A Californian woman has been reunited with her son after nearly 30 years, who she was told, had died at birth. Tina Bejarano had lived her life based on a lie — now knows that she not only has a son but also a grandchild.

Bejarano gave birth to her daughter, Kristin, when she was 17 years old. But her mother told her that she was not allowed to keep the baby. "The next day, she comes back to tell me, 'The baby died 15 minutes after it was born. It never made it. It was sick," Bejarano told KMPH. Bejarano had been brought up by her stepfather and abusive mother.

Kristin was put up for adoption and welcomed into a new family five days later, growing up in Las Vegas.

A few months after the loss, Bejarano married her now-husband Eric Gardere and went on to have five children. Bejarano confessed to KMPH that she "get depressed" and "cry all the time". Although Gardere was not the biological father, the couple had since celebrated Kristin's birthday for 29 years.

It was only last year that Bejarano’s daughter convinced her to take a DNA test. She received an e-mail that read, reported KMPH, "I think we need to talk, it says we're related, and it says you're my mom."

Kristin, now 29, had transitioned and was living in New Jersey with his wife and kid.

An overjoyed Bejarano said, “I don't care. I don't care if he's in transition. I don't care if he hasn't transitioned. I don't care. That's my kid... We’re just glad he’s alive."

Gardere also considers Kristin as his son. "We've been communicating with Kristen for a few months now. He calls me Dad, I call him Son, I text him every morning," he told KMPH.

Kristin and his family are now planning to meet his mother and stepfather in Los Banos on Nov. 24.