1-year-old baby disappeared without a trace in 1995, 21 years later, his mother collapsed when her ex's lie was revealed

In 1995, Maria Mancia experienced the greatest nightmare of any parent. She returned home from work only to find that her 18-month-old baby had disappeared.

And it wasn't until 20 years later, when she heard a knock at the door, that she discovered the truth behind what had happened.

Steve, Maria Mancia's 18-month-old son disappeared without a trace from her home one evening in 1995. The Police immediately began searching for him, but they didn't find any lead or a trace.

Almost every trace of Steve's life, from his birth certificate to Maria's photos with him (including the ultrasound image), has simply disappeared and vanished. Fortunately, Maria's sister had a black and white picture of Steve so that Maria could remember his face.

Kidnapped by his father

It soon became clear that Steve had been kidnapped by his father, Valentin Hernandez. You could think it would have made it easier to search, but that wasn't the case. It was as if the father and son didn't exist anywhere.

After many searches over a long period of time without much results, the police stopped the investigation. Maria had already begun to accept the fact that she would never see her son again. Still though, she had little hope that one day the police might find him.

The Police received a tip

Then, 21 years later, the police got a clue. An American citizen named Steve enrolled in law school in Puebla, Mexico. When the police received this information, they decided to contact the young man to learn more about his background.

They asked Steve about his biological father and were told he was gone. They compared the information they received from Steve to the criminal investigation they began many years ago, and after conducting a DNA test, it was clear: Steve was Maria's son who disappeared 21 years ago!

His father's lie

It turns out that Steve's dad told him his mom had abandoned him. But the truth was about to be revealed.

22-year-old Steve Hernandez returned to California to reunite with his mother after 21 years.

Watch the emotional reunion below:

Steve Hernandez not only got to meet with his mother again, he also got to know his four half-brothers, whom he never met. He now plans to study law in the United States and to be close to his biological family. It is unknown whether his father is still alive or not. He disappeared from Steve's life before the police were able to locate him.

This story realy moved us. It shows that dreams must never be given up, no matter how much time passes.