WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO HER, BUT
SOMETIMES, FATE HAS OTHER PLANS.
>> THEY’D MAKE JOKES AND SAY,
WELL, WE HAD TO GET A PRETTY
ONE, SO WE HAD TO STEP OUTSIDE
TO GET A PRETTY ONE IN THE
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: GROWING UP, LISA
WRIGHT ALWAYS KNEW SHE BELONGED.
YOU KNEW YOU WERE ADOPTED,
RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
MY MOM TOLD ME, YOUR MOMMY LOVES
YOU, BUT SHE WAS REALLY YOUNG.
SHE KNEW SHE COULDN’T TAKE CARE
OF YOU.
I WANTED A BABY SO BAD, THAT’S
WHY YOUR MOM LET ME TAKE CARE OF
YOU.
YOU WEREN’T ABANDONED.
IT WAS JEST THE BESTUST THE BEST
YOU.
>> Reporter: HER ADOPTION
RECORDS WERE SEALED, AND LISA
NEVER TRIED TO FIND HER
BIOLOGICAL FAMILY.
>> IT’S DONE IN SECRECY.
SHE HAD NO IDEA WHO MY BIRTH
PARENTS WERE.
>> Reporter: WHEN LISA’S SON
SUGGESTED SHE TAKE A DNA TEST AT
AGE 54 TO FIND OUT HER GENETIC
HERITAGE, SHE DIDN’T EXPECT IT
WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE.
YOU TAKE THIS DNA TEST, AND THEN
YOU FIND OUT YOU HAVE A FAMILY
MATCH.
>> I GET AN ALERT, AND IT SAYS,
THIS PERSON IS YOUR UNCLE.
I JUST REACHED OUT AND SAID, IF
YOU’RE OPEN TO IT, I WOULD LOVE
TO CHAT WITH YOU, TO SEE WHAT
ALL THIS MEANS.
>> Reporter: A FEW DAYS LATER,
THEY SPOKE ON THE PHONE.
>> YOU KNOW, MY HEART IS TURNING
FLIPS.
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
SO I SAID, WELL, I WAS BORN ON
DECEMBER THE 10th, 1964.
I WAS TOLD MY BIOLOGICAL MOM WAS
VERY YOUNG WHEN SHE HAD ME.
SHE MOVED TO L.A. BECAUSE SHE
WANTED TO BE IN HOLLYWOOD.
THEN HE JUST STOPPED ME RIGHT
THERE.
SO THEN I’M THINKING, OKAY, HERE
IT COMES, HE IS GOING TO SAY,
DON’T EVER CALL ME AGAIN.
HE GOES, LISA, YOU’RE MY NIECE.
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU.
WE’VE ALL BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU.
>> Reporter: AND THE SURPRISES
DIDN’T STOP THERE.
>> I SAID, WHERE IS MY MOTHER?
SHE LIVES IN L.A.
I WENT, OH, MY GOD, BECAUSE SO
DO I.
I GOOGLED HER ON MY COMPUTER.
HER PICTURE POPS UP.
I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.
LIKE, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,
OTHER THAN LOOKING AT MY SON,
FOR THE FIRST TIME, I’M LOOKING
AT SOMEBODY WHO LOOKS LIKE ME.
>> Reporter: FIVE MINUTES LATER,
LISA GOT ANOTHER CALL.
>> A VOICE ON THE OTHER END
SAYS, IS THIS MY DAUGHTER?
>> Reporter: OH.
>> I JUST WENT, OH, MY GOD, IS
THIS MY MOTHER?
SHE GOES, YES, SWEETIE, THIS IS
YOUR MOM.
IT WAS JUST THE MOST
INDESCRIBABLE FEELING.
I’M TALKING TO MY MOTHER.
LIKE, I’M TALKING TO MY MOTHER.
>> Reporter: AFTER MORE THAN 50
YEARS OF SEPARATION, LISA AND
HER MOTHER, LYNN MOODY, DIDN’T
WASTE TIME MAKING PLANS.
>> SHE GOES, WELL, WHEN CAN I
SEE YOU?
I’M LIKE, WHENEVER YOU WANT.
I’M RIGHT HERE.
SHE GOES, HOW ABOUT TOMORROW?
>> Reporter: FOR LYNN, WHO NEVER
HAD MORE CHILDREN, IT WAS A
REUNION SHE DREAMED OF BUT NEVER
EXPECTED.
>> WHEN SHE WAS BORN, THEY
COVERED MY FACE, MY EYES, SO 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.
AS A MOTHER, YOU NEVER, EVER,
EVER FORGET.
DURING THOSE 50 YEARS, ALL I DID
WAS TRY TO LEARN HOW TO LIVE
WITH IT.
I DIDN’T KNOW IF SHE WAS HUNGRY,
IF SHE WAS ALIVE, IF SHE WAS
HAPPY, IF SHE WAS ADOPTED.
WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS MY
DAUGHTER, AT THAT MOMENT, IT WAS
LIKE I WAS GIVING BIRTH.
BECAUSE I LOST MY LEGS, I WAS ON
THE FLOOR IN A FETAL POSITION
SCREAMING AND CRYING.
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW DEEP THAT HOLE
WAS.
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW DEEP THAT HOLE
WAS.
>> Reporter: NOT ONLY DID LYNN
FINALLY HAVE HER DAUGHTER, SHE
LEARNED SHE HAD A GRANDSON, TOO.
AND IN A FINAL TWIST FIT FOR
HOLLYWOOD, LISA DISCOVERED SHE’D
ACTUALLY GROWN UP WATCHING HER
ACTRESS MOTHER ON TV.
>> I GREW UP WATCHING MY MOTHER
ON TV AND DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT.
>> Reporter: THAT IS INSANE.
>> THAT’S MY MAMA?
THAT WAS OUR MUSTY TV.
WE SAT DOWN AND WATCHED "THAT’S
MY MAMA" EVERY WEEK, AND WHO
KNEW?
NO IDEA.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE --
>> Reporter: THE SHOW "THAT’S MY
MAMA
MAMA" AND, LIKE --
>> THAT’S MY MAMA.
>> Reporter: ESPECIALLY AROUND
MOTHER’S DAY, WHAT WOULD YOUR
TAKEAWAY BE FOR SOMEONE?
>> LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES
SOMETIMES, SO HANG IN THERE, NO
MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
BE OPEN TO MIRACLES.
BE OPEN TO SURPRISES.
KEEP THE FAITH.
>> WOW.
>> I’M TELLING YOU, WE TALKED
AND TALKED, AND I HAD A RADIO
SHOW.
I WAS LIKE, I CAN’T BE LATE, I
HAVE TO GO.
BUT THEY’RE PHENOMENAL.
SINCE THEIR REUNION, LISA
CONNECTED WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
FROM HER BIOLOGICAL FATHER’S
SIDE, TOO.
SHE’S DISCOVERED SHE HAS FOUR
SISTERS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND,
YES, YOU MAY RECOGNIZE MS. MOODY
MS. MOODY.
SHE WAS IN "ROOTS."
>> OH, MY GOSH.
>> SHE IS A TRAILBLAZER.
>> I WATCHED "THAT’S MY MAMA."
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE YOU’RE
WATCHING TV, NOT REALIZING
YOU’RE WATCHING YOUR MOTHER.
>> ON THE SHOW "THAT’S MY MAMA."