Grace LaJoy Henderson and her mother, whom she located after 50 years

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRACE LAJOY HENDERSON

Staff Report

Kansas City, MO — Grace LaJoy Henderson personifies persistence. Additionally, her story is one of faith, hope and determination. Henderson recently announced that she reunited with her mother after half a century.

She said, “50 years ago, my mother left me and my siblings with our father and I was only two at that time, and after that I spent some time in foster care. Life moved on and even after I became a mother, I continued my search for my mom. When I knew she would be in her 80’s, I became discouraged and pretty much gave up hope of ever finding her alive. But, I decided to search for my mother one last time.”

Last month, she was finally able to find her mother.

“In 2009, I shared my foster care story in a book entitled A Gifted Child in Foster Care: A Story of Resilience and I wrote this story under the impression that I would never, ever see my mother again.” Henderson said it was a glimmer of hope that caused her to search one last time.

In a recent Facebook post, she announced that she had finally found her mother, and that her mother is 81-years old. After the very emotional reunion, she shared that her mother was “a nice lady who is quiet and very easygoing.” She shared that her mother was able to recall some moments from the time when they were together 50 years ago. Henderson said she was looking forward to spending time with and learning more about her mother.

Known for her popular children’s book series entitled The Gracie Series, Henderson has written more than 25 books. To learn more, visit www.gracelajoy.com