In 1928, 16-year-old Minka Disbrow was on a picnic in the woods when she was assaulted and raped. Suddenly, this innocent farm girl was pregnant and terrified. The baby was secretly born, named Betty Jane, and placed for adoption.
For decades, Minka wrote letters trying to receive updates on her daughter. She kept loving and praying for Betty Jane, even though she never thought they’d meet again.
Nearly 80 years later, Minka whispered a prayer: “Lord, I’d like to see Betty Jane before I die. I promise I won’t bother her or interrupt her life. I just want to lay eyes on her.” Unbeknownst to Minka, a judge was releasing the sealed adoption records to her 77-year-old daughter. Soon, Minka’s phone would ring with the news she’d been secretly hoping for.
Watch the amazing video below to watch the reunion between mother and daughter. We’ve seen many touching reunions before, but none quite as powerful and nuanced as this.
Written by Cathy LaGrow (Minka’s granddaughter), The Waiting is a book that tells this incredible story, bringing three generations of family together over the course of a century. It’s an unforgettable true story of enduring love and the power of prayer. In 2006, just after the birth of her first baby, Cathy and her family learned the secret her grandmother Minka had been carrying for almost eight decades.
