A Mother Was Made To Choose Between Her Two Kids, But Decades Later A Miracle Happened
Berni Slowey vividly remembers the day that her two-year-old sister, Rose, vanished. The disappearance occurred at the end of the Vietnam War, in the chaos that ensued during the fall of Saigon. After making a new life in America, Berni never stopped wondering what became of her sibling. But she would have to wait almost 44 years to get answers.
A life upended
By Berni’s own admission, she was a perfectionist from a young age. As a teenager, she embarked on a career as a banker fresh from high school and went on to juggle full-time work with her college studies, just so she could reach her dreams sooner. Her lofty ambitions buried her memories of her painful past — for a while.
Rethinking what matters
For 20 years, Berni built up a successful career in the banking sector. At that point, though, the financial collapse occurred, plunging the economy into recession. The downturn then negatively impacted the financier’s life. Indeed, she came to find that work was more hostile and the culture no longer lined up with her own values.
Financial hardship
With that in mind, Berni chose to leave her career in banking behind and began looking for a new job. The recession, however, meant that she was not overwhelmed with options. She spent two years searching for an opportunity with no luck and feared she’d made a terrible mistake.
Early tragedy
These feelings of despair would ultimately stir up painful memories from Berni’s childhood. That’s because she’d never forgotten a tragic event that occurred during her early years. This incident would go on to affect the rest of the former banker’s life and lead her to wonder if there was something she could have done to prevent it.
