A teen mom makes the difficult choice to place her baby for adoption. Decades later, they share a heartfelt reunion that changed both lives.
For many women, choosing adoption is one of the hardest decisions they’ll ever make. For Melanie Pressley, who became pregnant at 18, it was a particularly painful choice. Despite her heartache, she knew it was the best path for her unborn child. Thirty-three years later, she was able to reunite with her now-adult son, creating a touching and inspiring story.
Melanie was only 18 when she found out she was pregnant. She had dreams of keeping the baby, but her boyfriend pressured her to terminate the pregnancy, making it clear he didn’t want to be a part of the child’s life. Facing financial challenges and deeply wanting her child to grow up with two loving parents, Melanie bravely chose adoption, hoping it would give her child the stability she couldn’t provide.
She gave birth to a baby boy on June 17, 1988, and made the difficult decision not to name him, allowing his adoptive parents that honor. Though it wasn’t permitted, Melanie held her son for a few precious moments. Her sister captured a single photo of the two of them, which became Melanie’s only connection to him for the next 30 years.
Over the years, Melanie built a new life, marrying and raising three more children. But her thoughts often drifted to her first child, especially every June 17. She wondered how he was and hoped he was well, keeping his memory close to her heart.
Her son, Greg Vossler, was adopted by a loving family. Initially, they lived nearby, but when Greg was seven, they relocated to Virginia. He found out about his adoption around the age of ten but didn’t feel a strong desire to find his birth parents or feel loved and happy in his adoptive family. As he grew older, he occasionally wondered about his biological family, but he had no real information to go on.
In 2018, Greg decided to use the 23andMe DNA test, initially just to learn more about his genetic health background. When the site suggested potential DNA relatives, curiosity finally nudged him to investigate, opening a door he hadn’t considered before.
Meanwhile, Melanie’s daughter, Rachel, knew her mother always wished to reconnect with her first son. She gave her mom a 23andMe test, suggesting it could reveal helpful health information since Melanie’s mother had died of cancer. When the test revealed a match, Greg and Melanie were finally linked through DNA.
Melanie quickly messaged Greg, asking for his age and birthday. When he confirmed it was June 17, she gently shared that she believed she was his birth mother. Their conversation moved from emails to texts, leading to an emotional reunion in June 2021. Greg and his family traveled to Ohio to meet Melanie and her family, sharing hugs, introductions, and tears of joy.
“Everyone was emotional, with hugs all around,” Greg recalled. “My aunt, who took the first photo of me and Melanie, held my face, and it felt incredible. Families have limitless space for love, and meeting them made that more real than ever.”
Melanie is immensely proud of her son and grateful to his adoptive family for raising him to be the wonderful, caring man he is. Plans for Melanie to visit Greg’s family in Virginia are underway, as the families embrace their shared journey.
Reflecting on their reunion, Greg expressed gratitude, saying, “Life sometimes gives us what we need rather than what we want, and reconnecting with Melanie’s family has been a blessing, reigniting joy in my life.”
Melanie also shared her wisdom: “Adoption isn’t something to feel ashamed of. There are loving couples who dream of raising a child, and reuniting with Greg has made my heart whole once again.”
