Her mother was devastated when her three-month-old baby was stolen from her driveway. Police and community members stepped up to help, hoping they could find the infant before it was too late. Parents do their best to keep their kids safe, but criminals are always looming, and sometimes they do the unthinkable.
One mother went through hell after her van was stolen with her precious child still inside. When a mother from Alton, Illinois left her infant in her vehicle for a few short moments, she never imagined it would be the start of her worst nightmare.
Gina Wilson adored her baby boy, Gianni Jaber. Sadly, she learned firsthand how quickly something terrible could happen when she took her attention off her son for a few minutes in 2021. She left him in the van parked in her driveway before running back into the house to fetch something. Upon her return, she was shocked to see the van was gone, but more importantly, her son was missing.
The mother immediately contacted the authorities, who sent out an Amber Alert about the child and encouraged community members to join a search mission. Wilson said, “Please, if you see my van, if you see my baby, just bring them home. Please bring them home. I’m so scared.” Parents and children living in the Alton area turned their attention to baby Gianni.
They were determined to find him, and everyone knew the first hours after his disappearance were the most important. Wilson became increasingly worried as time went by and stated that she thought she had lost her son forever. The emotional mother was grateful for the support from her friends, family, and strangers but wondered if she would see Gianni again. A woman named Brittany Ford drove from Brighton to Alton so she could assist the search mission. Little did she know what she would find.
Brittany Ford expressed, “Even though it wasn’t my child, my heart sank. No mother should ever have to go through that.” Ford drove around the town with her windows down, music off, and her full attention on her surroundings. She kept her eyes and ears attuned to any noises, and to her surprise, she heard something unusual. Ford’s son, Jenny Maui, noted, “If it were my baby, I would want everyone out there,” and miraculously, they were in the right place at the right time.
Ford heard a faint noise that sounded like a crying baby. She stopped her car and saw a bundle lying in a ditch alongside the road. It was baby Gianni. The woman found him just in time as he had already suffered from hypothermia and bumps and bruises. His mother believed the perpetrator flung him out of the car and expressed her son wasn’t treated with respect.
She was delighted to report her child was recovering, and scans from the hospital revealed he was doing well. When Wilson was reunited with her child, she cried and hugged him tightly. She also revealed that she remained eternally grateful to Ford. Wilson said, “It was complete selflessness. She took the time out to look for my baby, even though she has her own family.
The Good Samaritan added that she also experienced chills from time to time when she remembered hearing the baby’s wailing and finding him. Police applaud interactions and noted that she undoubtedly saved baby Gianni’s life. Alton Police Chief Marcus Polito stated, “We put that Amber Alert out to try to solicit some help, and sure enough, we got help, and it was beyond impressive.” Authorities apprehended a 15-year-old suspect connected with a crime and were glad the case had a happy ending. The story displayed what happens when people come together and encourages us to care for our fellow human beings.
In 2022, a Welsh woman shared the beautiful story of her son’s adoption. Karen Lewis welcomed a baby boy into her home. He was also found on the side of the road, similar to Baby Gianni. Lewis, who lived in Wales, wanted to start a family, but she kept miscarrying, so she pursued adoption instead. After a trip to Turkey, she saw thousands of homeless kids and wanted to help.
After speaking with her husband, they visited an orphanage where the adoption process happened quickly. She shared, “We had to choose in five minutes, and we chose Bedroom. It was the best decision I’d made.” The adoption changed Lewis’s life, and she was grateful to be his mother. Both Bedroom and Baby Gianni’s stories show that there is always hope when people step up and help those in need.
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