No matter how long it takes, they think the best things are worth the wait.

Over 80 years had passed since Lena Pierce last saw her daughter, but on a chilly, snowy day in January 2016,

Lena was at last reunited with the child she had to give up in 1933 when she was just a teenager.

Lena, who was born in 1919, had a difficult life that began with the death of her father when she was just a baby. She and her mother traveled much before settling in central New York.

When she was thirteen years old, Lena became pregnant. In Utica, New York, on February 11, 1933,

she gave birth to a daughter called Eva Mae. But after six months, the kid was taken away from her mother because she was a state-designated ward.

Eva Mae was adopted by a Long Island family, who then raised her as Betty Morrell. She was an only child,

and she wished for siblings. She was unaware that her birth mother had six children, all of whom were eager to meet her one day.

Before learning that she was adopted, a neighborhood kid gave Betty no cause to question her family. According to ABC News, she claimed, ‘I didn’t even know what adopted meant.’

When she questioned her mother, she learned that her original mother had passed away and that the adoption was legal. I can see why she said that, Betty remarked. She asked me not to stare.

After many years of ignoring the matter, Betty’s mother’s death finally brought some cryptic signals

to light. Betty’s aunt stated that she was born in Utica and that she had previously gone by the name Eva. Because of this, Betty embarked on a 50-year hunt for her biological mother.

‘I am aware that I had a great family and was cherished. That crucial piece was present. It simply kept annoying me.

She made phone calls to each hospital in Utica to begin her research. One responded, telling her that on February 11, 1933, there had been two births, one of which was a girl named Eva.

In 1983, Betty received a letter from the adoption agency, but she was unable to find out more because

her adoption was already finalized. Despite her disappointment, Betty stayed on Long Island before moving to Florida.

Betty would wait until one of her grandchildren, Kimberly Miccio, turned twelve before resuming her search for her birth mother.

Kimberly searched for her grandmother’s long-lost family for 20 years before finding them in September 2015.

She connected with Millie Hawk, one of Lena’s children, through a distant relative she discovered on Ancestry.com.

Finally, some responses

In addition to learning that Betty had at least one other sibling, they also learned that her biological mother was still living.

‘I have a mother!’ I also have a sister.

She didn’t discover she had four sisters in addition to her two brothers until much later.

Betty was ecstatic to meet her mother after all these years, but Lena was just as happy to hear that her daughter had been found.

After speaking with Betty, Millie traveled to Hallstead, Pennsylvania to visit her mother, who was getting

ready to play bingo at the fire station adjacent to her apartment. She told her mother about the wonderful news.

‘She started crying and lost it. She was so overcome with tears that she was unable to even go play bingo.

The two of them made plans to meet up once they were able to speak to one another on the phone for the first time.

An emotional reunion between a daughter who was 82 years old and a mother who was 96 years old took occurred at the Greater Binghamton Airport

one day in January 2016. The event was significant not just for the length of time that had passed but also for the ages of both women.

It was incredible, according to Kimberly. They were both crying.

The two kept in touch with one another following their reunion, and during this period Betty developed a great bond with her sister Millie.