Reunion After a 12-Year Separation: A Father and Daughter's Journey

One of the most incredible stories ever to unfold: Twelve years ago, Greg Allen made the biggest mistake of his life. He left his four-year-old daughter with his ex-wife, Dara Lawrence, for the weekend. There seemed to be no reason for suspicion, despite having sole custody. But it turned out that Dara couldn’t let go and never intended to give up.

Looking back, Greg realizes he should have paid more attention to the five whispered words from his daughter Sabrina before she left for what would be twelve years of pain, questions, and heartache. Sabrina told him, "Never forget me, Daddy," and it was there, in the parting words of his four-year-old, that Greg now recognizes a hidden message. A message which, he says today, he "should not have ignored."

As he delved deeper into those words and finally understood their significance, it was already too late. Dara had taken their daughter and vanished.

"I Knew Immediately Where to Search for My Daughter"

As days passed, Greg understood that Dara had no intention of returning, and he knew what had to be done. "I told local and federal authorities that the search needed to focus on Mexico," he explained in an interview with the British 'Daily Mail,' after traces of the two disappeared completely.

Despite the logic in his words, since Dara was a former resident of Mexico, authorities were hesitant to dispatch investigators to the distant country. "The process took forever, although it really could have taken much less time," Greg commented.

In 2014, Greg reported spotting Dara and Sabrina in Mexico City during his search and quickly alerted the police after overhearing the child telling her mother she wanted to return to the U.S. because she missed her dad. "But the Mexican police didn't react quickly enough, and Dara managed to escape once more."

On the Moment His Daughter Was Found: "I Couldn't Believe It Was True"

Despite the pain and frustration, Greg never gave up hope of finding his daughter and reuniting with her. He moved to Mexico, learned Spanish, and shared his daughter's story across all social media platforms until one day, the unimaginable happened.

Sabrina, now 17

"My home phone rang, and on the line was a police officer from the local force telling me they had raided an apartment in a district called Tlaxcala, outside of Mexico City, which had been under surveillance for two weeks. They said they had detained the mother and that the child would return with me to the U.S."

When told his daughter was found in this apartment, Greg broke down in tears. "I couldn't believe it was true. Twelve years had passed since I'd seen her, and now she's a young woman," he expressed. Shortly thereafter, Greg was finally reunited with his daughter in a deeply emotional moment for them both.

"This past year has been like a rollercoaster ride, but I like to think we've already passed the hardest parts," Greg wrote on his Facebook page after the life-changing phone call. "I'm happy to report that I now have a strong and growing relationship with my returned daughter Sabrina, despite the large gap," he concluded.