Essie Gilchrist, known as Mama Essie to the many children she fostered, lets out a gasp when she learns that Hannah Smith is looking for her.
It’s been more than four decades since Gilchrist last saw Smith, but she remembers her vividly. Back then, Smith went by her middle name, Marie.
“Marie had the most gorgeous red hair,” Gilchrist tells TODAY.com over the phone. “I never stopped thinking about her. She’s been searching for me?”
On Dec. 13, Smith shared a tribute to Gilchrist on social media in hopes that someone might have information on her whereabouts.
“I was 12 yrs old when my mother lost the ability to parent me safely. I was taken from her & put into a huge, scary children’s shelter. It took a long time but they finally found someone who would take in a deeply troubled, rather wild child like me,” Smith began a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
While reflecting on her time at Gilchrist's house in Stockton, California, Smith described herself as a “hooligan” and a “wild, ignorant WHITE child."
“I wasn’t all that nice to her. I stole from her. I ran up her phone bill calling my boyfriend,” Smith wrote. “I eventually ran away & was put back in the shelter & never saw her again. I’m sure I broke her heart.
“And… The foundation of EVERYTHING I know about grace, abt dignity, abt fashion, makeup hair care (I still use a pick), elegance, excellence, self-care, patience, love, goodness, generosity & fierceness in the face of pain came from my Mama Essie,” Smith continued.
Smith, who is now a trauma therapist in the state of Washington, went on to note that she had tried to find Gilchrist in the past without any luck. (Gilchrist got married and changed her last name, which is perhaps why Smith had trouble tracking her down.)
“Mama Essie, if you’re still with us or peering through the windows of heaven…thank you. From the bottom of my heart,” Smith concluded. “I heard you. I saw you. You made a difference, more than you’ll ever know.”
During a phone call with TODAY.com on Dec. 14, less than 24 hours after her tweet went viral, Smith says she’s “shaking” with happiness.
“Did you see someone found her?” Smith says. “Mama Essie is still living in Stockton. She’s alive! Have you seen the picture? She is beautiful.”
Smith is excited to talk about Gilchrist, who was a bright spot in a dark childhood. She recalls dancing with her foster sisters to Michael Jackson’s 1983 “Thriller” video in Gilchrist's "elegant, all-white" living room. At dinner, everyone gathered around the table and shared about their day.
“I felt like I was in a family. I knew I was safe and secure and I knew nothing bad was going to happen to me," Smith says. “When I got sick in the middle of the night, Mama Essie brought me to the hospital and sat with me.
“She showed me that there was kindness in the world,” Smith adds, quietly. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.”
“God is good,” Gilchrist says, when she learns that Smith is happily married and a licensed therapist.
Gilchrist, who is now in her 70s, fostered children of all ages for nearly 30 years. All left an indelible mark on her heart, she says. And she left a lasting impact on them.
“I’ve heard from so many of the kids over the years,” Gilchrist says. “What I tried to do is give them confidence and teach them (coping) skills. I’d tell them, ‘You’re smart. And you’re going to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You can have a good life.'”
On Dec. 15, Smith shared a happy update on X.
"Good Morning Lovelies... 45 minutes with Essie on the phone last night was amazing. So much I forgot," she wrote. "I’ve felt like I’ve been pacing, wandering...I feel my soul stirring again. I know my story helps people. I feel inspired, infused. I’m here for it. Good things are coming!!"