More than four decades after her adoption, Kate Saar learned she was one of thousands of Chilean babies taken from their mothers and sold overseas under Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Her search for the truth led to an emotional reunion with the mother she never knew.

Long Island

Kate Saar grew up believing her adoption was an act of love, but recently learned she was taken from her birth mother in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship. Under the regime, thousands of babies were stolen from their mothers and adopted overseas, often with families told their children had died.

Saar's discovery began after a conversation with a tour guide in Chile and was confirmed when her birth mother, Paulina, contacted her through Facebook. Their reunion was facilitated by Connecting Roots, a nonprofit founded by another Chilean adoptee. DNA testing confirmed their relationship, and the families have since begun building a relationship, making up for lost time.

Woman discovers she was stolen at birth amid Chile’s dictatorship

This will be the most beneficial for the future life of her daughter. For as long as she can remember, Kate Saar believed her adoption story was one of love. It was the fact that she was poor and she wanted me to have a better life. But that story wasn't true. Kate has since learned she was never given up. She was taken. Never would I ever have imagined that I was part of something like that. And now decades later, I just want her to come out of the car. The truth is bringing her face to face with her birth mom she never knew. I can finally say I look like somebody. I see the characteristics. We even wear our eye makeup the same. It was a moment 41 years in the making and a hug that lasted minutes. Didn't want to let go. Now under Pinochet's dictatorship from 1974 to 1991, thousands of Chilean babies were stolen from their mothers and sold into adoption overseas. They were known as the children of silence, as many as 30,000 of them across the world. Some had the mothers told that their child died at birth and weren't allowed to see them, that their bodies were cremated. Some mothers brought their child for their first doctor visit again to a government hospital and their children were taken. And in this case involved the Catholic Church. Kate's doubts began last year during a trip to Chile. Our tour guide started talking to us about things and he said, oh, like, maybe you were part of the stolen babies that were taken from Chile because you were adopted. She didn't think much of it until a Facebook message changed everything. August 10th is when I saw all of this. I'm from the town of Tucapel. I'm writing to you because this is an attempt to contact you and your biological mother. It was her birth mom, Paulina, who had been searching for her daughter ever since she was sedated in a convent. She didn't know what had happened to her and why she was there and because they kept her drugged the whole time. The reunion made possible by the nonprofit Connecting Roots founded by Tyler Graff, another Chilean adoptee whose own search became a mission to reunite others. My family who adopted me taught me, you know, to always help others. For Kate's husband, Bill, the DNA match confirmed what her heart already knew. 100% match and here we are. Paulina will spend 10 days here. She's already met her grandkids and Kate's adopted mom who supported her search for the truth. We're already planning like Christmases and next year's vacations. Making up for lost time, starting with a hug that neither one plans to ever let go of. In Smithtown, Long Island, Jody Goldberg, Fox 5 News.

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