When Texan mom Misty left her two kids, the children’s worlds were shattered. Then, years later, it was time for the family to finally meet again…

Divorce can disrupt even the most seemingly stable of relationships, and its consequences can prove devastating. Indeed, after the break-up of a marriage, one clan from Leander, Texas, were never the same again. When the kids of the family finally came face to face with their mother again, however, their reunion was eye-opening.

And the Texan children’s situation first came to national attention after they were invited onto The Oprah Winfrey Show. They made their first appearance on screen back in 2007; the family’s plight affected Winfrey so much, however, that their story would be revisited five years later.

Image: George Burns via Oprah — Image: George Burns/Harpo Studios

In 2007, though, viewers first met Daisy, then 11 years old, and Kris, then seven. They were joined on Winfrey’s couch by their father Jim, who had been raising his kids by himself since his divorce. And, as it turned out, the segment on which they appeared would be an emotional one.

The children’s mom, Misty, was notable by her absence on the show, however – and there was a good reason for that. She and Jim had gone through their divorce when Daisy and Kris were only nine and five years old, respectively – and, as a result, Misty had distanced herself from her son and daughter.

Daisy and Kris hadn’t seen their mom at all after she had left, in fact. And that state of affairs left Daisy in particular having to grow up fast. Indeed, as the girl would later reveal, she became something of a substitute mother for Kris, making meals for her younger brother, for instance.

And when the kids appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, they and their father had a heart-to-heart conversation with the host about what they had been through. There, Kris was seen beside himself with tears; Daisy, meanwhile, shared a letter that she had written expressing everything she felt about her mom’s disappearance.

Yet while the family’s segment likely proved a tear-jerking one for the audience at home, it ended up having a particularly significant impact on Winfrey herself. In fact, Daisy and Kris’ story moved the host so much that it led her to find out how they were getting on years later.

And it turned out that, in the interim, Jim had started to receive correspondence from Misty. At that time, she was in county jail as a consequence of missing child support payments, among other charges. Winfrey’s producers heard about the situation, though, and took action.

So, the family were invited onto one of Winfrey’s shows once again – this time, they would feature on the first episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? in 2012. And in an interesting development, Misty herself was also set to appear. It would be the first time that Daisy and Kris had seen their mom since she had left, in fact.

And, after encountering a more grown-up Daisy and Kris, Winfrey would tell the children how their tale had touched her. “[Your story] is one that lived inside me – I was seared by that moment on the show,” she said to them, referring to their 2007 appearance.

The reunion between Misty and her kids, meanwhile, was staged inside the jail that the mom was residing in. But, at the last minute, Kris decided that he couldn’t go through with the meeting; he didn’t feel that he was ready to face the woman who had left him at the tender age of five.

However, Daisy was on a different page, and so the now 16-year-old chose to see the person to whom she had written a heartfelt letter all those years ago. What’s more, she wanted to ask her mother for something that she felt was long overdue.

To make that request, though, Daisy first had to face Misty. So, hand in hand with a counselor, she walked into the room in which her mom was sitting. Winfrey was close behind and sat down next to the teenager, holding her hand tightly. It was a situation that Daisy would quip felt “kinda awkward.”

When Winfrey asked Misty how it felt to see her daughter again after seven years, however, she tearfully replied, “Overwhelming, confusing, happiness, sadness.” Then, it was time for Daisy to reveal why she had wanted to see her mom after all these years.

“I deserve an apology,” she declared. And Misty could only agree. “You do,” she replied. Daisy then continued to explain how hard growing up had been for her. “You have not been there for anything. You know who had to teach me how to do girl stuff? Dad. That’s pretty sad, and it’s embarrassing,” she said.

“All my memories of you are terrible,” the 16-year-old added to her mother. In time, though, it was Misty’s turn to speak. “Not a day has gone by when I didn’t think about you and Kris. And I’m sorry for my mistakes. I am truly, truly sorry to you and Kristopher, because I love you both,” she said through tears.

Once the conversation came to an end, though, Daisy and her mom shared a hug. “For a new start,” said Daisy, before asking her mom to promise that she was on board, too. “I love you,” sobbed Misty – and with that, the meeting was over.

But although Misty was released from jail in 2012, she didn’t rush back into Daisy and Kris’ lives. In fact, Oprah: Where Are They Now? would report that she hadn’t as yet encountered her kids again after being freed. Their dad, Jim, would also comment on the show that Misty was “the same person she was eight years ago… she’s not gonna change.”

And while Misty had since apparently called Jim on a few occasions, she was sadly not prepared to set up another meeting with her kids. Now all that the family can do is persevere with therapy sessions in the hope that they can eventually come to terms with their struggles.

But though Daisy didn’t get the happy ending that she had wished for, she can now move on in the knowledge that she tried her very best. Indeed, even without a mom nurturing her through life, she has proven herself to be an impressive and strong young woman nonetheless.