An American woman embarked on an unforgettable journey to find the family of her Chinese adopted son. From the United States, they travelled all the way to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province with the hope that someone will help her find the boy's biological family before he goes blind.

Fortunately, Molly Sano's public plea on behalf of her 3-year-old adopted son Bennett reached Shi Boning, the director of the Hearing Diagnosing and Screening Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University.

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Shi immediately browsed through the center's records and found a boy born on April 1, 2012 with a similar case. Without hesitation, he called the father's registered contact number that was luckily still active. About three days after Sano appeared on national television, the heart-melting reunion between Bennett and his biological family came to fruition

Sano reportedly adopted the deaf boy in Ningbo in 2014. In December last year, Bennett was diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a genetic condition leaving him not only deaf, but also blind when he reaches adulthood. Sano wanted to let the boy see his family roots even before the disease claims his vision.

Upon meeting her son, Bennett's biological mother burst into tears. Bennett, whose Chinese name is Long Miao, was about 6-week-old, when his father abandoned him and left a letter by his side to explain why. He wrote that his family cannot afford another child with disability, citing that Bennett's older brother was also deaf. His parents are factory workers who earn only about 1,000 yuan ($152) every month. 

On May 18, 2012, both parents decided to give the boy up, leaving him in the south gate of a stately residential location. The father allegedly did not leave the boy out of his sight until a security guard picked him up and took him to a local police station. He was then transferred to the Enmei Child Welfare Association in Ningbo, from where Sano adopted and took him with her to Seattle.

The father's letter made it clear that they left the boy because they were advised by doctors that Bennett needed a cochlear implant, something the family could not afford. Sano and her husband Chris, who is also deaf, said that they will let Bennett decide whether he wants to have an implant or not later on. As of now, he is being taught to sign by her adoptive mother, who is also a sign language interpreter.

Sano shared photos and stories of Bennett's life abroad with his family. He is reported to be growing like a normal child in a family of four. The two mothers exchanged WeChat contacts, and Sano promised to keep Bennett's biological family updated.

TagsMolly Sano, Usher syndrome, Bennett, adopted son, biological family