Kyle Adler, a 36-year-old Chilean American, has reunited with his biological mother, Ana Maria Navarrete, after discovering he was stolen from her as a baby and trafficked through an illegal adoption network. The reunion occurred earlier this year in Santiago, Chile, marking the end of a decades-long search for Adler, who was adopted by an American family in 1990.
Adler, who grew up in an affluent Chicago suburb, learned about his true origins as an adult. He was one of thousands of children taken from poor Chilean families during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet and adopted overseas through corrupt networks involving caregivers, officials, and adoption agencies. DNA testing and a Chilean nonprofit that reunites adoptees with their families helped connect Adler with Navarrete.
During their emotional reunion, Adler told his biological mother, 'I’m not just the son that you lost. I’m the son that you found. I’m back to being your son.' Navarrete, who was 19 at the time of Adler’s disappearance, expressed her joy at finally meeting him. 'My dream has finally come true,' she said.
Adler believes his adoptive parents, Mike and Connie Adler, were unaware of the illegal circumstances surrounding his adoption. 'My parents didn’t steal me,' he said. 'They saw me as who they wanted me to become, and there’s a lot of love that was put into that.' Navarrete had named Adler Marcos Antonio Navarrete and worked nights at a fish shop in the coastal city of Coronel when he was taken.
The reunion comes after years of searching for answers about his origins, which led to an identity crisis for Adler. He described the experience as 'eye-opening,' saying, 'I feel the love, I feel the compassion, the care — it’s nice to have a family again.'