12-year quest ends in car collision: Parents find missing son on road to fate

Photo: Sanook

In an extraordinary twist of fate, a 15 year old boy who had been missing for 12 years from his family was fortuitously found by his parents after a minor car collision in the city of Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. The boy, who had been living as a beggar, was instantly recognised by his parents, who were driving the vehicle that collided with him.

The couple, who run a barbershop, were driving along a road when the wife started crying, seeing the happy families around purchasing items for their children. The woman lamented, “Our son would be 15 years old now. I wonder what he is like now.” Unexpectedly, their vehicle hit a young beggar boy on the road, who bore a striking resemblance to their lost son.

The husband and wife hurriedly got out of the car to check on the boy, who had only suffered minor scratches in the car collision. The wife suggested taking the boy to the hospital to check his health. On reaching the hospital, the husband secretly took a strand of the boy’s hair and sent it for DNA testing, without informing his wife.

As they waited for the DNA results, the couple fed the boy, who ate several bowls of rice, stirring their compassion. Upon receiving the call from the hospital confirming their parental relation with the boy, the husband rushed to the hospital to collect the reports.

Overwhelmed with joy, he rushed back home to share the news with his wife. After 12 long years, the couple had found their missing son by sheer chance. That night, the boy was taken home, given fresh clothes to wear, and had his hair neatly trimmed.

According to reports, the boy was born in 2002 and was initially left with his grandmother in another province while his parents ran their newly opened barbershop. When their business improved, they decided to care for their son themselves. One day, the couple asked their three year old son to play outside with friends while they tended to a busy shop, unintentionally causing his disappearance for 12 years.

The 15 year old boy had no recollection of getting lost as he was too young then. He thought he was a legitimate child of another family until he was abused and finally handed over to a man whom he assumed was his biological father. This man forced him to work, kept all his earnings, abused him physically, and once even threatened to kill him with a knife when drunk. This forced the boy to run away, surviving on discarded food from trash bins until he encountered his real parents.

The boy’s story and identification ultimately led to the arrest of the man who had been exploiting him. The human trafficker got the punishment he deserved, and after 12 years, the family was reunited, reported Sanook.

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Samantha Rose

Samantha was a successful freelance journalist who worked with international news organisations before joining Thaiger. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from London, her global perspective on news and current affairs is influenced by her days in the UK, Singapore, and across Thailand. She now covers general stories related to Thailand.

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