“My mother was told I died after I was circumcised. She was 13. Lies, secrecy, and betrayal run rampant in the family line. I sat there, stunned. Could this be the link to my past I’d always dreamed of?”

‘You were born from my heart. I went out into the world to find you.’ My heart raced with excitement. I had to uncover the truth.’: Adoptee shares search for biological family, ‘Family is defined by love’

‘Do I have siblings? Do they think about me or miss me?’ It feels like a part of me is missing.’: Transracial adoptee searches for biological family, ‘I’m embracing my roots’
“I always said I didn’t want to find my biological parents. ‘Why should I try? I have a good life. I have friends, a job, people I love. What if I lose everything?’ I realized I had to accept myself.”

‘I was on mother number 3. She cut off contact. ‘Were you in Terre Haute, IN in 1967?’ My heart was racing.’: Adoptee finds father after 50 years, ‘Our relationship is magical’
“He didn’t have any idea what to do with a little girl. I tucked the papers away and forgot about them. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Being rejected by the same woman twice in your life is a hard pill to swallow.”

‘I should be there.’ I saw them hanging out on social media. All I wanted to know is where I came from.’: After rejections by biological family, adoptee says ‘your family is who you want them to be’
“I had very little information in my adoption paperwork left by my biological mother. I wanted to try to connect with my biological family. My adoptive mom ended up finding my older sister. She was in shock, as they didn’t know about me at all.”

‘I was abandoned on a doorstep at 1 years old, burned. ‘Wen, we’d like to adopt you.’ I was given a second chance to live.’: Burn survivor adopted from foster care, ‘I’m so lucky to be alive!’
“My biological parents had bills to pay. They gave me up, knowing they may never see me again. I didn’t know what was happening. Soon, I was taken away. I was halfway across the world on a plane ride that changed my life forever. I was given a second chance at life.”