In a story that sounds more like a movie script than reality, a woman has been reunited with her daughter 22 years after being told the baby had died at birth. The shocking twist? The reunion happened unexpectedly — during a job interview.
Ms. Grace Nambasa, a 45-year-old businesswoman based in Kampala, was left speechless when a young woman walked into her office seeking employment. As the interview progressed, something about the applicant struck Grace as oddly familiar — her mannerisms, facial features, and even her birthmark. It was then that old memories came flooding back.
“I kept staring at her. My heart started racing. I knew there was something more to this than just an interview,” Grace recalled.
As they spoke, Grace gently asked about the girl’s background. The young woman, named Brenda, explained she had been adopted at a young age after being found abandoned at a hospital. She never knew her biological mother — only that she was told her birth mother died during childbirth.
But when Grace asked about her birth date and the hospital where she was allegedly born, her hands trembled. The details matched the exact time and place where Grace had given birth 22 years ago — and had been told by hospital staff that her newborn had tragically died.
“I was devastated back then. They said my baby didn’t make it. They took her away and I never even got to hold her,” Grace said, holding back tears.
Shocked by the coincidence, Grace insisted on a DNA test. Days later, the results confirmed what her heart already knew — the young job seeker was, in fact, her long-lost daughter.
The revelation has left many questioning how such a tragic mix-up — or potential child trafficking — could happen. While authorities are now investigating the hospital records from that period, Grace and Brenda are focused on rebuilding their bond.
“I can’t explain the pain or the joy,” Grace said. “I mourned her for over two decades, and now she’s here. She’s alive. She’s my baby.”
Brenda, equally emotional, shared: “I spent my whole life wondering who I really was. Now, I finally know.”
The miraculous reunion has not only captivated the local community but also reopened long-standing concerns over hospital accountability and adoption transparency in Uganda. Lawmakers and human rights advocates are calling for a deeper probe into hospital practices dating back to the early 2000s.
For Grace and her daughter, though, the focus is now on healing and making up for the years lost.
“This is just the beginning,” Grace said. “She didn’t just walk in for a job. She walked into her home.”