A son who was taken abroad by his dad when he was a toddler more than 30 years ago has been reunited with his mum for the first time.
David Amaya Barrick, who is now 37, was taken from Chicago by his father in 1979 to live in Mexico, where he was left with his paternal grandparents, who spoke only Spanish. He later trained as a percussionist and moved to Monterrey, Mexico.
However, last month David, who is now a father-of-two, crossed illegally into California from Mexico and was arrested by Border Patrol agents.
But when he told them he had been born in a Chicago hospital, they checked out his story and were able to find his birth certificate and his mother, and put the two in touch in an emotional phone call.
He has as now come face-to-face with his mother Kathy for the first time in 34 years.
Despite the time they've spent apart – and the fact neither speaks the other's language – the mother and son soon found they had plenty in common - with the same eyes, nose, laugh and a love of plaid shirts.
Kathy, 60, said: "We have some catching up to do."
Agent Troy Matthews said: "It was very emotional. He told her he grew up being told she abandoned him and she started crying that she was afraid they told him that and how she never stopped wanting to find him."
David will now fly to Wisconsin to meet his mum's other four grown up children - three brothers and a sister he didn't know he had.
He said: "We'll spend Thanksgiving with so much to give thanks for. It's really overwhelming, sometimes it feels like my heart will burst."
He also vowed that the language barrier between them would not stop them rebuilding their relationship.
"We are the same blood," he said. "We can figure out the rest."