She Returned to Vietnam to Explore Her Roots, and Accidentally Found Her Entire Birth Family (Exclusive)

• Melissa Brozier was adopted from Vietnam by her parents, Bob and Kim, when she was just 1½ years old
• In Brozier’s family, there was a special tradition: whenever someone graduated from high school, their aunt would take them on a trip of their choice
• At 19, feeling disconnected from her identity, Brozier asked her aunt if they could visit Vietnam so she could explore her roots

Melissa Brozier had an unexpected family reunion.

Brozier was adopted from Vietnam by her parents, Bob and Kim, when she was just 1½ years old. They traveled through an agency to bring her home, and she grew up in a suburb outside of Cleveland, alongside her brother, who was also adopted. Track and gymnastics played central roles in her childhood and adolescence.

Whenever someone in Brozier’s family graduated from high school, their aunt would take them on a trip of their choice. But when Brozier was recruited to compete in track in college, she decided to postpone her trip to focus on training. It wasn’t until her sophomore year — after an injury forced her to step back from the team — that she finally had the time to take it.

At 19, feeling disconnected from her identity, Brozier asked her aunt if they could visit Vietnam so she could explore her roots.

“I kind of wanted to know more about where I’m from and what my culture means,” Brozier, now 26, tells PEOPLE over the phone. “Up until then, the suburb I grew up in was predominantly White. I went to a Roman Catholic private school.”

“There weren’t many people who looked like me, let alone other adopted kids,” she adds. “And when it came to mainstream media, I didn’t see much representation. I didn’t feel valued. I didn’t see myself in roles where I could do anything — be on TV, be an advocate. It felt like there was no one saying, ‘You can do this, too.’ ”

While planning the trip, her aunt suggested hiring a private investigator to help locate Brozier’s biological family. But she wasn’t ready for that. She wanted the experience to be about her own journey — time to reflect, explore and connect with the country on her terms.

Instead, they planned to visit the orphanage in the town where she had been adopted from, and bring gifts for the children there.

“There were two orphanages in the town I’m from, Hội An, and one of them had closed down,” she says. “So by default, we planned to visit the one that was still open.”

Brozier and her aunt spent two weeks traveling through Vietnam from north to south, immersing themselves in the country’s landscapes and culture.

Then, on Christmas Eve — the day before they were scheduled to visit the orphanage — they took a guided tour of the city in which Brozier was born.

“We were learning about the town’s history, and our tour guide thought it would be a good idea to take us to the orphanage that day instead of waiting,” she recalls. “I remember it so vividly. I was vlogging the trip — because I love being in front of the camera — and I remember saying, ‘I have no idea what to expect. We’re going on a tour. I’m excited, whatever.’ But that’s not what happened at all.”

“When we pulled up to the orphanage, I suddenly felt paralyzed. I had a panic attack. I couldn’t explain why. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was just overwhelmed — I couldn’t get out of the car. It was such a wave of emotion, and I had never really expressed or felt anything like that before. I always say that when I turned 21, two months later, that’s when the wires finally started connecting in my head and I began to feel empathy and process emotions.”

The next day, she returned to the orphanage to deliver the gifts and take a tour.

“It was strange,” she says. “We still didn’t know for sure if this was the exact orphanage I came from, but I clung to the possibility.”

As they were getting ready to leave, Brozier decided to take one final walk around the courtyard. That’s when a man approached them with a translator, and asked if they would follow him to an office. Curious, they agreed.

Inside, staff began flipping through filing cabinets and large logbooks.

“We were all wondering what was going to happen,” she says. Then, they pulled out a large red book — with her name, her adoptive parents’ names and address in Ohio, and even her biological parents’ information.

“They told us my biological family had been coming back every few months to update their contact information, just in case I ever returned and wanted to find them,” she says. “I was blown away. Not only did I find out this was the orphanage I came from — but that my entire biological family had been thinking about me all these years and wanted to reconnect.”

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Then came the next question: Did she want them to call her biological family?

“I was like, ‘What do you mean? Do they have phones?’ ” she says, laughing. “I was so overwhelmed, but I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ”

A short time later, three people showed up on a moped, all wearing helmets. “I didn’t know who was going to get off that bike. I had no expectations — but I knew I was about to meet my biological family.”

When her biological mother stepped off the bike, Brozier knew instantly.

“That moment is in the video I uploaded. It was an instantaneous, surreal feeling of confirmation. I was staring at my genetics. I didn’t even know I could feel something like that, let alone process it.”

“I never really felt like I was missing anything before,” she continues. “Some of my friends have searched for their biological families and found it disappointing — either it didn’t work out or the people weren’t what they had imagined. I feel incredibly lucky that my experience turned out the way it did.”

Later, she called her parents back in Ohio to share what had happened.

“I think it was super early in the morning when I called,” she says. “Everything had happened so fast, and I don’t think we actually FaceTimed them until we got to my biological parents’ house. I just remember them being confused, trying to process what I was saying. They were also half-asleep. But once they put the pieces together, we were all just sobbing on FaceTime.”

Her parents, she says, were incredibly supportive and excited for her. And then came an even bigger revelation: she’s one of 11 siblings.

“They’ve always said, ‘This is your journey, and however you want to handle it, we’re here for you.’ I still haven’t talked with them about everything in depth. I’m still unpacking a lot of it myself, but they’ve made it clear that the door is always open,” Brozier says.

“My mom and dad have shared a lot with me over the years about the adoption process and what it was like for them,” she adds. “I’ve never felt like I’d be stepping on their toes by wanting to learn more about where I come from.”

Recently, Brozier shared her emotional reunion on TikTok, where the video has since gone viral, amassing more than 1 million views. She says she’s remained in touch with her biological family ever since, largely thanks to social media.

She adds that since they connected, they do video calls every now and then, and since a lot of them work in the hospitality industry, many speak English.

“But even when they don’t, we still find ways to connect — using Google Translate, chatting, just seeing each other,” she says. “Being able to watch my nieces and nephews grow up, and see my biological parents age … that’s such a privilege. I’m really grateful I get to stay connected with them even after leaving.”

She says the most powerful part of sharing her story has been the response from others.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve gotten out of sharing this is just not feeling alone,” she continues. “Even though it’s such a personal journey, hearing other people’s stories — whether they’ve found their biological families or not — has meant the world to me.”

“Everyone loves a good story, and this was truly my story to tell,” she adds. “It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that just … happened. And I’m so grateful. I want to use the positive energy from this to be more confident, to remind myself I’m not alone, and to show others that good things can still happen — even with everything going on in the world and on social media.”