When Will Russell found himself with a baby girl, he was just a young kid himself. He was dangerously addicted to alcohol and knew that his life wasn’t the right one for a baby.
He was aware that he would not be able to give his young baby, Amy, the care and stable home that she would need. He was faced with a difficult decision – should he put her up for adoption?
Shortly after she was born, he decided that the answer was yes. Amy was put up for adoption and Will was forced to move on
As the years passed by, Will did not forget his young baby. He prayed that someday he would be reunited with her.
For some reason, he found himself inexplicably drawn to an organization known as the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Their goal is to provide Christ-based solutions for people who are homeless and hungry. He began working there as a volunteer but soon became a full-time employee in the ministry
In July of 2013, Amy was searching for signs of her biological family. Luckily for her, social media was there to help her along the way.
Through it, she was able to connect with one of her siblings. That sibling was able to give her Will’s current phone number.
Amy was understandably nervous and stressed about calling her father, but she knew she had to make the leap. She mustered up all of her strength and made the call.
It had been more than 24 years with no contact between the two of them. However, Will was open and ready when he received that fateful call. He told Amy that everything would be okay from now on after hearing that he was talking to his long-lost daughter.
The next morning, the reunited father-daughter team met for the first time in 24 years for breakfast. Will admitted to Amy the many struggles he had with alcohol abuse and why he gave her up as a baby.
He told her about the downward spiral he went through when he was in his 20’s and how it made him turn his life around. He drank for the last time in 2004 and has been clean ever since.
Will then went on to help others who are struggling with beating addiction and staying clean. He is now a pastor at the ministry. After talking to Amy about his life and hearing about hers, Will told Amy that he needed to leave for work. When he told her about serving food at the Phoenix Rescue Mission, Amy was shocked. The reason she was speechless will leave you the same way.
Check out the video below and watch how a shocking twist connects these two amazing people.