For many individuals, the arrival of a new baby is typically a highly anticipated and joyous occasion. However, this was not the case for everyone.
On the evening of Saturday, May 16, 1998, Azita Milanian was out jogging with her dogs in Southern California. Despite invitations to go dancing from friends, she declined.
While on her run, one of her dogs suddenly halted and started to dig. When Azita investigated, she was stunned to see two tiny feet protruding from the ground.
Azita initially thought the infant was deceased, but to her surprise, he cried out. Without hesitation, she unearthed the newborn, still attached to the umbilical cord.
“Please don’t die,” she pleaded with the baby, as per the Los Angeles Times. “I will never leave you, I love you.”
Buried alive
The child had not only been abandoned but also buried alive.
“He grasped my wrist and ceased crying,” Azita recounted. “It was a very emotional moment.”
Azita rushed the infant to the hospital, where he received immediate medical attention. His body temperature had dangerously plummeted to 80°F (27°C), yet he managed to pull through.
Despite efforts to locate the individual who left the boy, nicknamed Christian by hospital staff, no perpetrator was identified.
One month later, authorities received an anonymous call from a woman claiming to be the mother. She inquired about potential consequences but abruptly ended the call.
Officials suspected the mother was likely very young and panicked after giving birth, leading to her abandonment of the child.
Azita contemplated adopting Christian herself, but she ultimately decided against it due to concerns about his safety following considerable media attention.
Despite her efforts to stay informed about Christian’s well-being, once he was adopted, maintaining contact became impossible.
Azita held onto the hope that Christian would cross paths with her again, similar to how she had found him.
However, years passed without any communication. Twenty years went by.
Thankfully, Christian was adopted into a caring family who cherished him, giving him the name Matthew while retaining Christian as his middle name.
I knew he was adopted
It wasn’t until Matthew turned 17 that he learned his adoptive parents were not his biological ones.
At the age of 20, Matthew’s story caught the attention of a radio program that proposed conducting a live DNA test on air. Agreeing to the test, Matthew was also reunited with Azita, whom the producers had encountered during their research.
The reunion was incredible, providing Azita with a sense of relief, knowing that the baby she had saved years earlier had found a loving family.
Matthew expressed gratitude for the upbringing he received, acknowledging that he couldn’t have asked for better parents.
“Today, I am here. I’ve had a wonderful life,” Matthew shared with the Los Angeles Times. “I was embraced by an amazing family. I could not have wished for more from my parents.”
On the day of their reunion, which coincided with Matthew’s birthday, Azita brought him back to the location where she had rescued him two decades earlier.
The emotional moment when Azita and Matthew revisited the site where he had been discovered buried alive was profound.
How fortunate that Azita discovered Matthew on that fateful day! Otherwise, his survival may have been unlikely.
Love for children transcends DNA and resides in the heart. Share if you resonate with this sentiment!
