98-Year-Old War War II Refugee Reunites With Her Daughter For The First Time In 80 Years

98-Year-Old War War II Refugee Reunites With Her Daughter For The First Time In 80 Years

When Gerda Cole was a young Jewish girl, she faced Nazi persecution and was forced to flee her home in Austria during World war II.

She was in a tough place when she turned 18 and was living as a refugee in England. Not only was she dealing with the struggles of being a refugee, but she also found herself pregnant and unable to support a new baby.

With little education or resources, Gerda followed the advice of the refuge committee and placed her baby, Sonya, up for adoption.

width= Photo: PXHRE

Speaking with CBC News, Gerda said: "I had very limited personal education, and this, combined with wartime, left me no recourse but to have Sonya adopted under the advice of the refuge committee. The condition was not to have any further connection with the child."

Time passed and Gerda eventually moved to Canada. While she thought of her daughter often, she never thought she'd meet her or know what became of her life.

However, on Gerda's 98th birthday, she got the surprise of a lifetime: the chance to meet her daughter for the first time in 80 years!

The reunion happened all thanks to Sonya's son, Gerda's grandson, Stephen Grist.

In a news segment with the Toronto Sun, Stephen explained that Brexit combined with the pandemic gave him some time to investigate his mom's birth parents. He wanted to apply for citizenship in Austria based on his heritage, but he didn't have enough information about his biological grandmother.

He explained that his mom's adoptive parents wouldn't tell them anything about the adoption or Sonya's biological mom, and Sonya's own searches had come up empty-handed.

Eventually, Sonya assumed her mother had passed away. But thanks to Stephen's investigation, he was able to put the pieces together and find Gerda Cold - Sonya's biological mom!

Stephen learned she was alive and in a Canadian nursing home.

As soon as 80-year-old Sonya learned her mother was alive, she booked a flight to Canada to meet her. It just so happened to be the woman's 98th birthday. What a special present!

Not only did Gerda get to meet her daughter for the first time in so long, but she also got to connect with her grandson. It was a special, emotional moment for everyone.

Watch the sweet reunion in the video below:
Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

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