Page 5 - Jeri Smith News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

But back then they celebrated, an amazing reunion. so of course dateline was happy to broadcast it all around the country on march 25, 2011, no idea that something quite unbelievable would happen. because one of the people who tuned in that night was a woman named jeri. and oh, what a story she had to tell. it was a story two sisters had waited a very long time to hear. coming up -- >> 99.99% probability. >> that's it. >> yep. that means it's confirmed. >> when dateline continues. t's . >> when dateline continues

She said i'll take the dna test, but these are my children. i know it. >> allred put the dna test on a fast track and waited. and within a week called pepper and rene to her office to hear the results in person the results of the test. >> 99.99% probability. that's it. it means it's confirmed. >> how soon could they meet, jeri, is what the sisters wanted to know. we arranged for a reunion the next day. jeri arrived first and told us how she saw her long lost girls on our program. >> i was hysterical because i knew that's who she was. and then when i saw the girls i knew they were mine. >> afte...

>> it felt great. i was hoping i could find my children before i died because i'm getting old and that was just like a miracle. >> jeri's story, the shirley who took the girls had been her friend turned roommate turned baby-sitter. >> she said i'll baby-sit for you, i'll take care of them while you work, and i said that's great because i really thought i was blessed. >> first it was rene she looked after, then rene and pepper and then two years later little leonard smith, jr. wait, brother? it wasn't just the two girls. there was a younger brother the girls never knew they had. the father wasn...

Furthermer i worked so i arranged with her to watch the kids while i worked. >> it was a god send really since jeri had to be hospitalized for weeks after raymond was born and get back to work and find a new home to take the kids to. >> i'd come out there on my day off to stay with the kids and spend some time with them. so then i called her and told her i was coming to get the kids and the next day i went out there, and gone. >> not a sign of them. no kids, no shirley. frantic then she went to the police. what did you tell them? your children had been kidnapped? >> yep, and they took the repo...

>> that's right. >> tell me about that. >> to me i feel it was my fault because i put them in the hands of this monster. >> we're in a hotel room in los angeles, jeri is eager, anxious, terrified, visibly shaking. and then they come around the corner. their first meeting of 37 years. >> wow. it's been a lifetime we've missed. >> i feel i'm dreaming still. i can't really get it yet. >> i can't either. >> can i just stare at you for a minute? >> you can do anything, honey. i'm sad because i was there with you. >> you're my mom. >> yes. you're my babies.