After 20 Years Apart, Facebook Helped This Woman Find Her Mom

If you spend a lot of time on Facebook, you may have seen this picture of a woman holding a sign floating around. Written on a whim by British 23-year-old Stacey Lee, the sign reads: "Looking for my birth mother Brenda Elizabeth Davies. (May have another name) Born in Leyland. Had me in Manchester General 21st Oct. 1991. I also have 2 other brothers from my mum. If you have anything please contact me." While it might seem far-fetched that a description scrawled on a bit of cardboard would accomplish anything, the photo went viral — and worked social media magic.

After being separated for more than 20 years, Lee felt that she had tried everything to find her long-lost mother . . . so when her boyfriend suggested using Facebook as a search tool, she didn't see why not. But her post succeeded in a miraculous fashion, because after a single day (and 100,000 shares), a distant relative put Lee into contact with her mom, Brenda Drake. Despite more than two decades apart, Lee and Drake made plans to reunite.

"I went to meet her in a pub and when I saw her, I just hugged her and we both cried," Lee shared about meeting her mother. "We were in shock. It was very emotional. We look a lot like each other and I am quite shy and quiet like her." Lee didn't just regain a mother thanks to Facebook, either; at their reunion, she also discovered that she has four younger siblings. The entire family plans to spend plenty of time together in the future and have social media to thank for their newfound happiness.