This birth certificate may look unimportant, but the State of Indiana hid it from me for 36 years. To this day, I am not supposed to know who I am or where I came from. To receive this, I was required to send a copy of my birth mother’s death certificate to the Indiana State Department of Health. It is ironic that I first had to prove that my birthmother was dead before I could have a document stating I was born. I have never met or heard the voice of my birthmother.
I was adopted in Indiana where records are still sealed. After 20 years of searching and begging, I am proud to share my past with the world-
My name: infant
My mother: Betty Gertrude Stewart
Race: White
Age: 22
My father: unknown
Child Status: illegitimate
Born: 2/25/58
For those of you who are not adopted, be thankful you know your biological roots. That is precious to many adoptees.
My advice to adult adoptees who are searching for their birth origins-
Never give up.
Never take NO for an answer.
Never be afraid of the truths you may find.
Thank you, WestSeventh. Yes, when one is ignorant of their past every puzzle piece is so treasured. My books have currently sold out, but you can acquire used ones on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Search-Mom-Journey-Adoptee/dp/1891665294/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402856320&sr=1-4&keywords=In+search+of+mom
Such a tangled web. In this day and age you would think understanding the importance of the search. Everyone has a right to know his or her roots. I know of two stories. Both ended up finding their past. One was a happy reunion, one was mostly hot and cold but at least the satisfaction of frustrating years of hanging on a limb is over.
I wish you success and look forward to keeping up with your story.
Thank you for your kind words, WestSeventh. I’m happy you realize the importance of the pieces of the puzzle of an adoptees past. If your nephews share the same burning desire to know their origins, they may very well continue their search quest their entire lives. Thank you for reading, and please connect with me on other social media. Facebook.com/DiamondMikeWatson
Mike, this is such a precious piece of personal history. There must be so much to know and understand, or perhaps you have answered many questions over the years. Just seeing the document makes me want to shout out to you, SO legitimate, so real and precious, caught up in an uncertainty that you may already know much about- or perhaps not. I have two nephews who are adopted…they struggle and are men in their 30’s. I regret that their parents did not afford them much support or guidance as they wrestled with the ‘why’ and ‘how’… I hope you keep us posted on this journey; perhaps you have written about it before and I have not seen read it. Forgive me, if I overstepped a boundary, or two, in my response…
All my best, Christine