The following teaser is from an article dealing adoption reunion issues, found at the wcsh6.com website. Not only is the article interesting, but the comments also add a lot of insight into what adoptees go through in attempting to locate and reunite with their birth parents. It’s not always pretty…
LEWISTON (NEWS CENTER) – A new law that opens previously sealed birth records is opening up a new world for adoptees.
Dan Companion is one of those people. In January, he flew from Florida to Maine and stood in line with a dozen people outside a state office building. When the doors opened, Dan got to see his original birth certificate for the first time and learn the name of the woman who gave birth to him.
For nearly 40 years Jeanne Lacourse kept a secret from everyone except a few close family members. In 1969, 19-year-old Jeanne was living with her parents when she gave birth to a baby boy. She says back then a young single mother raising a child on her own was not an option. Her parents arranged for the child to be taken away and put up for adoption.
Earlier this year she received a phone call.
“Well the phone rang, it was around noon time. He said did January 26, 1969 have any meaning to me and I answered maybe and then he said this Dan Companion and I believe I’m your son. I think at first I just went into total shock,” she said.
Read the full article and the comments.
I found and read the same article yesterday, and I wonder whay you would choose to make the comment that ” it’s not always pretty”? especially since this was a very accurate and descriptive story of how adoption reunions take place.
What IS NOT always pretty is Adoption itself.. between adoptees denied their Civil Rights to their original identity in all but 6 US states, and the massive lifelong grief assocaited with relinquishment to the birthmothers.. There is room for lots of improvement in adoption legislation, understanding and practices. While th second mother in the story denied the relationship with her daughter (which can happen based on the amounts of shame and branwashing that so many mothers were traumatized with during the Bbay scoop era) the adoptee still found her siblings and knows the truth. The truth might not always be what one might like, but what’s not pretty is an adoption based on lies as many adoptions are…
Claudia – excellent comment. Thanks for taking the time to make it. I couldn’t agree more. My “it’s not always pretty” line wasn’t made to denigrate adoption reunions. I was just attempting to show show that reunions don’t always work out quite like we would expect.
My name is Debbie, I was born June 26th 1958 in Southington Ct Memorial Hospital. I was given for adoption immediately. My birth mothers name was LaCourse. The name Wheeler was also a named mentioned through an agency. I live in Bristol and, am searching for my birth mother or father.Anyone with any information please contact me. I would love to meet my mom and, any sisters or brothers I may have. You can contact me at : alexis984@aol.com