Uploaded April 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
First Birthday tells the story of a mother and son reunited after 56 years apart. Cheryl Harris was a teenager in the 1950s when she found herself pregnant and unwed. She decided to give her son up for adoption; a decision she struggled with throughout her life. Her son Stephen Schweckendieck was adopted at two months old and spent much of his life seeking out a sense of belonging. It was this curiosity about his lineage that inspired him to take the 23andMe test. Years later, Cheryl signed up for 23andMe and when her results revealed a match for a son, she didn’t know how to react.
After weeks of communicating daily, the two reunited, caught up on 55 years apart and were able to spend Stephen’s 56th birthday together – the first birthday together since the day he was born.
Directors – Ben Fries, Alden Nusser
Producers – Alden Nusser, Ben Fries
Cinematographer – Alden Nusser
Editor – Kate Emerson
First Birthday tells the story of a mother and son reunited after 56 years apart. Cheryl Harris was a teenager in the 1950s when she found herself pregnant and unwed. She decided to give her son up for adoption; a decision she struggled with throughout her life. Her son Stephen Schweckendieck was adopted at two months old and spent much of his life seeking out a sense of belonging. It was this curiosity about his lineage that inspired him to take the 23andMe test. Years later, Cheryl signed up for 23andMe and when her results revealed a match for a son, she didn’t know how to react.
After weeks of communicating daily, the two reunited, caught up on 55 years apart and were able to spend Stephen’s 56th birthday together – the first birthday together since the day he was born.
Directors – Ben Fries, Alden Nusser
Producers – Alden Nusser, Ben Fries
Cinematographer – Alden Nusser
Editor – Kate Emerson
