The devastating aftermath in Aceh after the 2004 tsunami.
What an amazing story.
Ten years after being carried off in a horrific 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, Raudhatul Jannah has been reunited with her family. She went missing at age four and is now fourteen.
Jamaliah, 42, and her husband survived the quake-triggered tsunami that killed tens of thousands in Aceh, on western Sumatra island, and had long ago given up hope of finding either of their children alive.
But in June, Jamaliah's brother spotted a girl in a village walking home from school who bore a striking resemblance to Jannah.
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After the tip-off from her brother, Jamaliah and her husband visited the girl, now aged 14, in late June - and discovered it was indeed their daughter who went missing a decade earlier.
After waves hit the family's home a decade ago and swept the four-year-old away, Raudhatul apparently drifted to some islands located southwest of her original home on the western Sumatra island's Aceh province. A fisherman found her and took her to the mainland. The fisherman's mother brought up the little girl.
This past week, Raudhatul (who had been since re-named Wenni) returned to her hometown and met her parents again. It's hard to imagine how miraculous it would be to reunite with a loved one presumed dead after so many years. Jamaliah, Raudhatul's mother, said she recognized her daughter right away.
Jamaliah said she had no doubt that the girl was her daughter as soon as she saw her.
“If anyone is in doubt, I’m ready for DNA tests,” she said.
She also said:
"My heart beat so fast when I saw her. I hugged her and she hugged me back and felt so comfortable in my arms," she said, adding that she could not stop the "tears from flowing" during the emotional reunion.
According to the ABC article, Raudhatul's brother—seven years old at the time—was swept away to the same islands and survived. However, his whereabouts are still unknown.