Texas woman reunited with family after being kidnapped 51 years ago 

A Texas woman who was kidnapped as a baby 51 years ago was reunited with her family in Fort Worth this week, her family announced. 

Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped from her home by a babysitter when she was 22 months old in 1971. Since her disappearance, the Highsmith family searched for their lost child, hoping to find her alive. 

In what seems like a miracle, Melissa was found living in Fort Worth under the name Melanie Walden after the family received the results of a 23AndMe DNA test that connected Melissa’s children with them. 

"Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA, not because of any police or FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family's own private investigations or speculations," Sharon Highsmith, one of Melissa’s siblings, wrote on Facebook.

Melissa thought it was a scam when her real father reached out to her saying that he had been looking for his daughter for 51 years. Melissa did not know that her real family was looking for her. 

"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 said.

Melissa was reunited with her parents on Saturday, five decades after she was taken away from them. 

"It's overwhelming, but at the same time, it's the most wonderful feeling in the world," Melissa says. 

"I just couldn't believe it. I thought I'd never see her again," said Melissa’s mother, Atla Apantencl. 

“I couldn’t stop crying. I was overjoyed and I’m still walking around in a fog trying to comprehend that my sister is right in front of me and that we found her,” said Victoria Highsmith, another sibling. "It's a Christmas miracle! It's amazing meeting her. It was like looking into myself, she looks like me, like us. She's overjoyed to be in our lives."

Melissa Highsmith has been found after being abducted 51 years ago. She has been reunited with her family. pic.twitter.com/T8IRlTOXzX

— Serena (@Serenams76) November 27, 2022