In a remarkable and emotional journey, a 42-year-old lawyer, who was taken from his biological mother at birth during the era of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and raised in the United States, has made a transcontinental voyage to South America to finally meet his biological mother face to face.


Jimmy Lippert Thyden recounted his incredible story in a TikTok video as he boarded the plane for this momentous journey. In his video, he revealed, "She didn't know about me because they took me at birth and told her I was dead." He shared that when his mother inquired about his body, she was told that it had been disposed of, leading to a lifetime of separation. "So we've never held each other, we've never hugged," Lippert Thyden expressed.

In a heartwarming scene on a street in his mother's hometown of Valdivia, located approximately 740 km (460 miles) south of Santiago, Lippert Thyden was visibly moved as he embraced Maria Angelica Gonzalez, his biological mother, for the very first time. Holding a bouquet of flowers, he conveyed his love to her through his tears.

For this remarkable reunion, Lippert Thyden was accompanied by his wife and two daughters, who also had the opportunity to meet their grandmother for the first time.

Lippert Thyden's reconnection with his biological family was made possible through a DNA tracing conducted via MyHeritage.com and the efforts of Nos Buscamos, a Chilean non-governmental organization dedicated to reuniting individuals who were separated during the 17-year rule of Pinochet. The Pinochet era saw thousands of individuals disappear and tens of thousands subjected to torture before his regime concluded in 1990.