In 1999, Araceli Colón left her son Daniel Colón in Mexico and headed for the United States, hoping the move would eventually lead to a better life for both her son and her mother.
Her son was a baby when she made the move, but their separation ended Wednesday - with a hug at a dance competition in Arizona.
"I spent my time crying, crying, crying, and then I had to adapt and work, and work. That's what I focused on," Colón told Telemundo Arizona as she sat next to her now grown-up son.
Thousands of miles apart, Colón and her family struggled to make ends meet, with Araceli being the main breadwinner in Arizona and Daniel Colón living with his grandmother in Guerrero, Mexico.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
While dealing with the pain of not having his mother, Daniel Colón found refuge in a new passion: Dance.
"My drive to move forward has always come from the suffering that I have gone through, the pain of never having my parents with me," Daniel Colón said. "For me, it's like gathering strength and embracing that feeling that has helped me dance with emotion," he added.
U.S. & World
Dance not only became Daniel Colón's biggest strength but also established the path that led him to compete in the United States for the first time - and reunite with the person who sacrificed everything for him over two decades ago.
"I now feel completely myself; my mom was the only piece missing in my heart and my life," he said.
"My dream had always been getting back with my mom... but now what's next is traveling around the world with her, wherever dance takes me, no border can stop me from dancing."
Throughout the years of dancing, Daniel Colón has won major dance competitions in Mexico and abroad. He has also traveled to dozens of countries for various competitions, which has led him to become a champion in various dance categories.
"For me, dance is life. For me, dance is the blood that runs through my veins."
Daniel Colón's next competition is scheduled to be in France this year.
As of now, Daniel Colón plans to regularly visit his mother with the assistance of a new program sponsored by the Mexican government. This program allows families to spend a short time with their loved ones in the U.S. before returning to Mexico.
