Mom Reunited With Son 13 Years Later
Published: December 19, 2005
A mother and son who were separated while the boy was still an infant have been reunited more than a decade after the child disappeared with his father.
Tosha Blevins had not heard anything about her son, Stephen Kao, in 13 years until she received a call earlier this month from relatives of the boy’s father.
The caller, David Henson of Douglasville, Ga., told Blevins he had been trying to find her for years.
“My wife is Stephen’s dad’s sister,” Henson said. “Your son came to live with us after his dad died four years ago.”
Stephen’s relatives in Georgia were able to locate Blevins using records they found in his baby book.
The day after the call, Blevins went to Georgia and spent more than a week with her son, now 14, who returned to live with her in Arkansas. [The Christmas Child : A Story of Coming Home]
Stephen, who had not seen his mother since he was a year old, didn’t remember her.
“She nearly hugged me to death,” Stephen said. “I thought she wasn’t ever going to let go. And I was glad to see her, too. I never asked my dad about her. Then last year, I started wondering about her.”
Blevins, who lives in Bella Vista, says she had joint custody of Stephen when the boy’s father took him after a divorce. [What Every Woman Should Know about Divorce and Custody]
Full Story
Her heart hadn’t stopped aching for her him, but Tosha Blevins believed that she would never again lay eyes on her son. At least, she believed that until just a few weeks ago.
Blevins, of Bella Vista, said her son, Stephen Kao, was kidnapped just before Christmas 13 years ago. “His dad and I were divorced and had joint custody of Stephen,” Blevins explained. “Around this time of year in 1992 when Stephen was a year old, his dad took him and never returned. I’ve looked so long and so hard that I just knew I would never find him after all this time.”
Utilizing every resource she was aware of, including police departments and Internet search sites, Blevins said her search was hampered by the frequent moves Stephen’s dad made. Another problem was searching for a juvenile — always more difficult than trying to find an adult. [Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Amy Billig–A Mother’s Search for Justice]
Blevins received a phone call Dec. 2. The caller, David Henson, was calling from Douglasville, Ga. He told Blevins he had been trying to find her for four years. “I have your son, Stephen,” Henson said. “He’s been living with us for the last four years. My wife is Stephen’s dad’s sister. Your son came to live with us after his dad died four years ago.”
Blevins said it took a while to comprehend what the caller was saying. She felt as if her heart might pound out of her chest. After 13 years, she knew where Stephen was. She left the next day for Georgia. “I have the best husband in the world now,” Blevins said. “The minute I let him know what was going on, he said, ‘ Well, let’s go get Stephen. ’”
Tosha Blevins spent a little over a week in Douglasville, Ga., with Stephen and the family members who took him in after his dad’s death. Tragically, Stephen’s dad committed suicide four years ago.
Stephen, 14, has been through far more heartache and loss than most people ever experience. He and his mom have time now to get to know each other. Blevins said she knows there will be an adjustment period, but nothing could be better than having Stephen back with her. [Teenage Boys : Surviving and Enjoying These Extraordinary Years]
Blevins and her husband, Jesse Blevins, have been married 10 years. They have a four-year-old son who seems delighted to have his big brother, Stephen, around.
From records they found in Stephen’s babybook, put together by his mom, the family in Georgia was finally able to locate Blevins in Arkansas. The kidnapping 13 years ago took place in San Antonio, Texas.
Because Stephen was just a baby at the time, he knew nothing about it. He doesn’t remember his mother. But she remembered him. “She nearly hugged me to death,” Stephen said about seeing her the first time in Georgia. “I thought she wasn’t ever going to let go. And I was glad to see her, too.
” I never asked my dad about her, “Stephen said.” I don’t know. I just didn’t. Then last year, I started wondering about her. I wondered a lot. I’m glad to be here with my mom. I’ve just been in Arkansas a week now but I think I’m going to like it. “I’ll start school after the holidays. I’ll be going to Lincoln Junior High School. I like karate, baseball, skateboarding, mountain climbing and caving and, of course, I like video games.”
The reunited mother and child are especially looking forward to Christmas this year. Hoping plenty of extended family members can join them, it will be a holiday neither will forget. Smiling, Stephen described being with his mom in just three words: “It’s a miracle.” [Christmas Miracles : Magical True Stories of Modern-Day Miracles]
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