It was a good story but not true. What I actually found, when I started searching seven years ago, was that my birth mother was 26 years old when I was born, not 19 as reported in my adoption story given to my adoptive parents by the adoption agency. Moreover, my birth father was a military policeman for the Army/Air Corp. When I finally decided to search for my roots, I approached my adoptive parents with some hesitation. I was not sure how they would react. I knew I was not going to replace them with whatever family I found at the end of my search, but I was not sure they would fully understand the need for this search. I had always felt, as I raised my own daughter, that I was playing Russian roulette with her life, as I always had to put on the medical forms "I don't know" when it came to questions about my family's medical history. Now there was another generation on the way. It was time to find out the truth. 

So I asked my adoptive parents for copies of all the papers they had regarding my adoption. Because of recent scandals regarding the agency I was placed through (Tennessee Children's Home Society - TCHS), they wanted to know if I thought they had done anything illegal by adopting me. I had to reassure them that I did not think this at all. I just wanted to know where I came from. So they sent the copies requested and my journey began. Because Georgia Tann handled my adoption for the Memphis office of the TCHS, I ultimately had to sue the state of Tennessee for my records. 

Once I received the records, I was able to locate my birth mother's family within three months. I found out my birth mother had died 18 years before. I also found out I was the elder of her two children and that I had a younger brother. In addition to a new half brother, I also gained 4 uncles, their spouses, an aunt, and over 100 new cousins! Just before I found my birth mother's family, my adoptive mother died. I think if she had lived, she would have been pleased to know that I had found a loving, caring family, and would have come to love them as much as I have. 

It feels good to be able to fill out a medical history form and not have to put "I don't know" for most of the questions. I am still missing a few pieces to my family history puzzle (still looking for my birth father), but I hope to have these pieces in place by the end of the century. Even though my search has lasted 7 years, I have been blessed with a good support network - Triple Hearts Adoption Triangle. If you need a place to find support as you search, or just need a safe haven, come join us any third Thursday at 7pm.
 

March, 1999