This Woman’s Return to Her Old Foster Home Reveals a Stunning Look-Alike She Never Expected

A woman decided to visit the orphanage where she grew up, hoping to make peace with her past. What she found there left her speechless: a little girl who looked just like her!

Thelma Harris was abandoned by her father, Thomas, when she was just one year old. Her mother, Erin, was a lively and happy person, but she became very sad after Thomas left. Despite this, Erin worked hard to give Thelma a good future.

Erin was a stewardess who flew internationally, so she couldn’t always be home. Because of this, she had to place Thelma in an orphanage run by a local church in Atlanta, Georgia.

Erin herself had grown up in the same kind of orphanage as Thelma. Raised by a Catholic church in Atlanta, she went to a community school before training as a flight attendant after university.

During her yearly vacations, Erin would bring Thelma home, and they would spend time together. Other children at the orphanage envied Thelma for having a mother who cared, even though Thelma only saw her mom twice a year.

Despite having a mother who loved her, Thelma felt very lonely because she was mostly alone at the orphanage. The other kids were jealous and didn’t want to befriend her. To cope with her loneliness, Thelma took up painting, which became her escape.

When Thelma turned 16, she decided to study Arts in college, inspired by her love for painting. However, Erin wanted her to become a doctor and not an artist. This disagreement led to a big argument and strained their relationship, causing them to become distant.

“I really love painting, Mom, and you can’t force me to study medicine!” Thelma had said firmly.

“No way, Thelma,” Erin replied. “The Arts won’t give you a secure future. You’ll struggle a lot. I don’t want that for you.”

“But, Mom,” Thelma argued, “I want to make a career out of painting. I don’t want to study medicine just because you think it’s a stable job and pays well.”

“You’re still young, Thelma. You’re making a hasty choice,” Erin warned. “Trusting your father was a mistake I made, and look at how hard we’ve had it. You live in an orphanage, and I’ve worked nonstop to provide for us.”

“Of course, Mom. In all this, it feels like I’m the one suffering,” Thelma shot back. “I had to live like an orphan even though I had a mother. And now you’re making another decision that impacts both of us! If you’re worried about money, I can work part-time to cover my expenses.”

With that, Thelma packed her bags and left her mother’s house that evening, determined to prove her wrong. She moved from Atlanta to Savannah.

Taking a year off from school, Thelma prepared for scholarship exams and managed to enroll in a Fine Arts program at a university by the start of the following year.

She continued volunteering, as she had done at the orphanage where she spent over 16 years of her life. On weekends, she visited a nearby orphanage, bringing coloring books and toys, and occasionally held painting sessions for the children.

Sixteen years passed this way. Although Thelma never spoke to Erin again after that day, she started to feel a desire to reconnect with her mother.

In the early days after moving to Savannah, Thelma tried to reach out to Erin multiple times through phone calls and letters. However, Erin was upset and changed her contact information, ignoring Thelma’s attempts to reconnect.

However, 32-year-old Thelma, now the CEO of a major design firm, had grown more mature since her teenage years. She realized she should have approached her mother more patiently and tried to resolve things rather than cutting ties over an argument.

So, after all these years, Thelma decided to return to the orphanage and reunite with her mother. It wasn’t an easy decision, given the time that had passed and how their last conversation had ended.

“Time heals everything, Thelma. You’ll be fine,” she reassured herself as she hired a cab to take her to Atlanta the next evening.

Unfortunately, the taxi broke down halfway through the journey. It was getting dark, and she had already had three cabs cancel on her. “Maybe I’m not meant to fix things with Mom,” she thought, feeling discouraged after the fourth cab also canceled. Just then, a car pulled over beside her, and a kind man offered help.

“Hey, can I help you?” he asked warmly, rolling down his car window.

“Yes, that would be really kind,” Thelma replied, relieved. “Could you please give me a ride to Atlanta? My taxi broke down, and I’ve been turned down by four others!”

“Yeah, sure,” Curtis said with a smile. “I’m headed to Atlanta too! Hop in!”

“Oh my goodness, thank you so much!” Thelma said gratefully as she got into the front seat. She introduced herself and explained that she was on her way to the orphanage where she grew up. Curtis introduced himself in return, and to pass the time, he started sharing stories about his life.

“I never felt like dating again after my divorce,” he said. “We didn’t have any kids, so now I’m just a single guy enjoying life as it comes.”

Thelma blushed a little. “Are you from Atlanta?”

“Yeah, I’m on my way back home after visiting some family.”

“That’s nice,” Thelma replied softly. “You’re lucky to have family.”

“Yes, it feels nice to have family, but sometimes they just drag you to boring gatherings every month!” Curtis said with a chuckle. “There are times when I prefer being alone. Anyway, we’re almost in Atlanta. Where should I drop you off?”

“Could you drop me off near the Sunrise Valley Home bus stop? The orphanage is just a short walk from there,” Thelma replied.

“Sure thing!”

“Thanks, Curtis.”

It was around 8:30 p.m. when Thelma arrived at the orphanage. After dinner, the children had already gone to their rooms, and the director had left for the day. Sister Julie, who was on duty that night, immediately recognized Thelma.

“Oh dear,” Sister Julie exclaimed. “Is that really you, Thelma?”

“Sister!” Thelma said cheerfully, hugging her. “How have you been?”

“I’m doing well, dear. But why did you leave so suddenly? Your mother was very worried when you left,” Sister Julie replied.

“I’m sorry, Sister. Mom and I had a big argument, and I had to leave. But now I’m back to make things right. I wanted to surprise Mom, so I didn’t contact her before. Is she in town?”

“Well,” Sister Julie began, but was interrupted when a young girl entered the room. “Can you help me find my doll, Sister Julie?” the girl asked in a squeaky voice, rubbing her eyes.

Thelma’s heart skipped a beat as she looked closely at the girl. “She—she looks so much like me! How is that possible?”

Sister Julie noticed Thelma’s shock and quickly sent the little girl, Cindy, to her room with Sister Nancy’s help. She then turned back to Thelma, placing a comforting hand on hers.

“There’s something you need to know, Thelma,” Sister Julie said, her voice trembling slightly. “It’s about the little girl you just met.” She began to share Cindy’s story with Thelma.

Sister Julie told Thelma that Cindy was actually her younger sister. After Thelma left, Erin married a man named Kevin. They had a baby girl and named her Cindy. Sadly, Kevin didn’t want to care for Cindy and left Erin for someone else.

“Sister Julie explained, “Erin was heartbroken and struggled a lot. She passed away in a plane crash. Cindy, now six years old, stayed with us while Erin worked, and after Erin’s death, we officially took her in.”

Thelma’s heart sank as she heard about her mother’s death. She was overwhelmed with regret for not reaching out to her. Tears streamed down her face. “I should have contacted her. She was in so much pain, and I… I can’t forgive myself, Sister.”

“Don’t cry, Thelma,” Sister Julie said, hugging her. “What happened was part of God’s plan. You’re here now and have a chance to make things right by caring for your sister.”

“I will,” Thelma promised through her tears. “I’m not going to make the same mistake again.” The next day, she began the process of filing for Cindy’s guardianship.

When the guardianship was finalized a month later, Thelma brought little Cindy home. Cindy was thrilled to discover she had an older sister.

Nine years have passed since then. Cindy is now 15 and about to graduate from high school. Thelma recently shared the story of what happened with Erin. Though it made Cindy a bit sad, it also inspired her to pursue a career in medicine, fulfilling her late mother’s wish.

Meanwhile, Thelma has grown her business to several states across the US. She and Curtis, the kind man who helped her years ago, got married last year. After Thelma moved back to Atlanta from Savannah for Cindy, their friendship blossomed into love, leading to their wedding.