Chennai: Separated as a baby, man finally re-unites with mother after 41 years

In a heartwarming incident, a Danish man named David Kildendal Nielsen (born as Santhakumar) reunited with his mother in Chennai’s Manali 41 years after being separated from her as a toddler.

David Neilsen (43), who lives in Denmark, was born on August 3, 1976, to Dhanalakshmi and Kaliamoorthy at the government RSRM Hospital in Royapuram, according to a report. David was only 2 years old when he and his brother Martin (born as Rajan) were given up for adoption by a charitable home in Chennai without their mother’s knowledge. David was adopted by a Danish couple, with whom he had been living in Denmark for the last four decades. When Dhanalakshmi visited the home one day, she was informed that her sons were adopted and that the adoptive parents would provide them with a good life in Denmark.

After finding out about his roots, David wanted to trace his parents back in India. Around 6 years ago, he came across documents which helped him trace his brother in Denmark, with whom he started his search for his parents using just the name of the children’s home he used to live in and a black and white picture of David and Martin along with their mother. During his visit to Chennai in June 2018, a short documentary featuring David was aired on a popular news channel, which was viewed by Dhanalakshmi’s relatives.

They contacted him soon after, and David, who had reached Denmark by then, spoke to his mother on a video call. The two of them finally met on Saturday (November 23, 2019).An overwhelmed David expressed his feelings in a statement to a news agency. “When I met her on Saturday, she hugged me. My joy knew no bounds.

The only problem was the language barrier. I wanted her to know about every stage of my life,” he reportedly said. The pictures of their re-union are being shared on social media, and people are moved by David’s relentless efforts in finding his biological mother. Although David is sure that Dhanalakshmi is his mother, a DNA test is being conducted to confirm the same.