Call it a hug more than 23 years in the making.
Late Thursday night, Brandy Chapman reunited with her mom, Shelly Suzanne Jennings, for the first time in nearly 24 years. Their moment took place in a Salida motel, ending a search and a chapter of a story that captivated people from Oklahoma to Oakdale and beyond over the past month.
“I’m still in shock,” Chapman said, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks Friday morning.
“Let’s just say that I love her,” Jennings said. “I overwhelmingly love her.”
Why the separation of more than two decades?
Jennings left Oklahoma with her two youngest daughters – Rachel and Julie Ford – in 1993 and came to Modesto, where a relative once lived. Chapman remained in Oklahoma with her father, who had custody. Jennings, whose family has a history of schizophrenia, began having some issues here.
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