Woman Finds Birth Mother She Watched On TV As A Child

As a child in the 1970s, Lisa Wright loved watching an ABC sitcom called “That’s My Mama.” As an adult, she recently realized that the series’ title actually foretold her own true story. Lynne Moody, one of the stars of the show, turned out to be Wright’s birth mother, according to Today.com.

Because of a closed adoption, Wright’s adoptive mother never met Moody. She could tell Wright, as a child, only that Moody had given birth to her at 18 and could not take care of her.

Kerry Breen reports that Wright acted on a suggestion of her son and, at age 54, took a DNA test that matched her with the man who is her biological uncle. Wright said, “I just reached out and said, ‘If you're open to it, I would love to chat with you to see what all of this means.’” That telephone call led to another, this one from Moody herself.

Wright and Moody met in Los Angeles, where they were both living, and Moody was able to fill in the gaps. She recalled, “When [Lisa] was born, they covered my face, my eyes, so that I couldn't see her…But I could hear her cry. All I could say was ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry.’” It was a long 50 years for Moody, during which time she knew nothing of what had become of her baby. Breen states that Moody had wanted to find her daughter but never thought that dream would come true. When it did, the joyful reunion was also painful for Moody. She said, “When I found out that she was my daughter, at that moment, it was like I was giving birth…I didn't know how deep that hole was.”

For Wright, finally speaking to and then meeting her birth mother “was just the most indescribable feeling.” Finding out that she had watched her mother on television was another incredible surprise. Wright recalled, “We all sat down and watched 'That's My Mama' every week, and who knew? No idea....And that's my mama!"