Texas Baby Kidnapped 51 Years Ago Just Reunited with Her Family

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Can you imagine discovering your 22-month-old infant has been kidnapped by the babysitter and not knowing if your baby was safe or even alive?

You'd likely never give up hope or give up looking for her, and that's exactly what the Apantencl family of Ft. Worth Texas can attest to.

Can you now imagine how emotional the reuniting of the Highsmith family must have been when after 51 years their missing family member has now been found alive and well?

It's a horrible Texas story with a happy ending.

Melissa Highsmith was just 22 months old when a trusted babysitter kidnapped her and raised her without ever telling her the truth about her birth family.

Thankfully a 23 and Me test helped solve a missing person Texas mystery and now Melissa's family are making up for lost time and getting to know one another.

A reuniting that Melissa thought was originally a hoax after the DNA test linked Melissa's children to the Apantencl family, spearheading Melissa's biological father to reach out to her on social media relaying that he and his family had been looking for their daughter for over 50 years.

Something Melissa felt was serious enough to investigate. She went straight to the only mother she had ever known with questions.

“The person that raised me, I asked her, ‘Is there anything you need to tell me?’ and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real,” Melissa offers during a FOX10 interview.

Now can you imagine how magical the holiday season will be with Melissa's biological family this year?

Here is the heartbreaking and heartwarming Youtube video as the family reunites thanks to WFAA.