Woman Reaches Out To The Girl She Gave Up For Adoption 18 Years Ago, Shares Their Emotional Conversation
Adoption is a concept that most of us only really see in movies or other fiction. And while it might be distant, in a sense an almost-fictional notion, for many people around the world, it is a difficult reality. According to Adoption Network, 1 in 25 US families with children have adopted a child, resulting in 7 million Americans being adopted. And while only 2% of Americans have adopted kids, a stunning one-third have considered it.
There are many different aspects to adoption, starting from why a family would seek to adopt a child to why a parent would give up their kid. The adoption process is long and arduous and takes up more than 3 years, so most families involved have good reasons to do so.
One Imgur user that goes by the name of nerdychick78912 recently shared her own story along with screenshots of text messages with her biological daughter. The chat showed her excitement over making plans to meet her biological daughter and asking if she could have some one-on-one time so she could fully dedicate her whole attention, to which the daughter agrees.
Woman shared her excitement over finally getting to meet her biological daughter for the first time in 18 years
According to the woman, she had an open adoption 18 years ago when she had to make the hardest decision of her life and give up her own child. ” At that point in my life, it was the right thing to do,” she explained. The woman also adds that at the time, she could not provide her child “the life she deserved and the life [she] wanted her to have”. Which led her to choose 2 trustworthy people that could take care of the kid.
Bored Panda has reached out to the author of the story for additional details. The woman replied and provided some background to the adoption:
“I got pregnant at 18yrs old. The day I was supposed to meet the father (whom I dated for 6 months) to discuss what we were going to do he never showed. That was the last time I ever spoke to him. After a lot of soul searching I decided to go with adoption. The state where I lived only did closed adoptions and I couldn’t bare the thought of not knowing where she was or how she was doing. So with the help of my mother we found an adoption attorney in California. He sent me several family bios but there was only one I was interested in. Next thing I know I’m flying to Los Angeles to meet them and see where my daughter would be growing up.”
Image credits: Toshimasa Ishibashi (not the actual photo)
The mother continued to describe her journey, detailing her trip to California:
“The trip couldn’t have gone any better. At 12 weeks pregnant I decided to give my child to the wonderful people I met. I knew she would have everything she could ever want and need and I knew they would give her a better life than I ever could. At 35 weeks I moved to Los Angeles to have her. The adoptive parents [were] so supportive and were at my side when she was born. After she was born I held her and fed her and told her I loved her many times before I left the hospital to get on a plane to go home. Before I got on the plane I met with a social worker to sign away the right to change my mind within 72 hours. The family I chose went through hell because the birth mom they had before me changed her mind after the birth and they were absolutely heartbroken. I didn’t want them to worry because I truly loved them.”
She also explained the circumstances of the adoption in a brief statement
The author also added that the adoptive parents would send her pictures and letters and that she would send her daughter birthday presents in return. “She was told she was adopted early on so she knew who the presents came from,” the woman said.
“5 years ago my daughter called me for the first time and said she was ready for a relationship,” she added. Ever since, the two have been keeping a regular phone contact which culminated in the message she shared above. Turns out, the daughter chose a college just a 5-hour drive away which allowed her a perfect opportunity to reconnect not only with her biological mother, but with her sister as well. “I have a younger daughter and they both are excited to be a part of each other’s lives but the first time I wanted it to be just me,” the mother explained.
The mother also added that she tried reaching out to the biological father several years back not only for personal closure, but to provide the same for her child. “Let’s just say he didn’t change nor did he want anything to do with her because he already had another family,” the woman wrapped that end of the story up.
“In just a little over a week, I will hold my daughter in my arms for the first time in 18 years and my little family will finally be complete,” the woman couldn’t contain her excitement in an emotional statement. “I wish every soul on this planet could experience this kind of high. It’s beautiful,” she concluded.
Here’s how people on the internet responded to the story
74Kviews
Share on FacebookAwww this is so nice! Congrats to the mother for finally meeting her daughter!! ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉) ( ͡☆ ͜ʖ ͡☆)
There is not a word in the English dictionary that could describe my excitement. :)
Load More Replies...Wish i knew who my Dad was and wish my birth Mum wanted to find me. Hard not knowing what happened for first year of my life. I have name for my Mum but nothing for my Dad. Who didnt stick around and my Mum got booted outta the house for being a single pregnant 16yr old. I know she tried and tried hard to keep me, changed her mind on adoption process a few times breaking my Mums heart, but in the end was inevitable in 1970, being a single Mum, no support. Heart goes out to her Carol Pearrett. ❤️Mum
I don't know either of my birth parents names. They didn't want me and I was in the system for two and a half years. Got passed around a couple times. Finally got adopted but my parents won't give me any info about my parents. So I know exactly how you must feel. Stay strong my friend and best of luck to you.
Load More Replies...This is a wonderful story. It sounds like they'll be great additions to each others' lives. The adoptive parents deserve huge credit for keeping lines of communication open.
For those of us of a certain age, place, and ethnicity, those open adoptions are very rare.
Load More Replies...Nice, but not typical of adoptions. Mine was a closed adoption. It took 11 years to find biological family members, none of whom even responded. I'd much rather see the more average adoption stories, where the families DON'T meet, DON'T get along. It is more common, but never represented in media.
Also a lot of adoptions happen well after the kid is old enough to experience the trauma. I’m not sure of the numbers but many adoptions are not loved babies who are being given up for their own good / a better future - and instead are just kids who lost their parents to jail or drug addiction and got tossed into the system.
Load More Replies...Such a heartwarming story, from the beginning, every step of the way was done perfectly, credit for all the correct planning, wishing the family a life of happiness !!!
I first met my son when he was 8 weeks old and then the second time when he was 27 years older. He was what I described as "appropriately angry" but when we got to know each other that quickly faded. He has a great mom and dad and he turned out quite wonderfully.
Can you please add pictures and videos when they met if there are any please!!
As the adult adopted child, when I found my birth mother & siblings & extended family last year (at age 49), it was a relief. The experience was warm. I am not that close to that family, but it is good to know who they are. I am still closest to my adoptive family. -Dr M
Stories like this make me so so happy! This woman is a heroine for being so brave and going though with adopting her child and giving her a second chance at life!!
Hey I’m the 18 year old girl In this post. My name is Payton. I am thankful every day for my birth moms decision to put her wants and needs aside and think about me in every aspect she thought about me. My adoptive family was the best thing to ever happen to me and they are the reason I am here chasing my dreams. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and I wouldn’t have them If it wasn’t for my birth mom. She has never tried to replace my mom because she chose my mom she chose my dad and she respects them on every level. Meeting her is going to bring another person into the circle that loves me and everyone’s needs more people to love and support them especially at a far away college as a freshman. I hope this helped you understand a little more :)
Load More Replies...Awww this is so nice! Congrats to the mother for finally meeting her daughter!! ( ͡◉ ͜ʖ ͡◉) ( ͡☆ ͜ʖ ͡☆)
There is not a word in the English dictionary that could describe my excitement. :)
Load More Replies...Wish i knew who my Dad was and wish my birth Mum wanted to find me. Hard not knowing what happened for first year of my life. I have name for my Mum but nothing for my Dad. Who didnt stick around and my Mum got booted outta the house for being a single pregnant 16yr old. I know she tried and tried hard to keep me, changed her mind on adoption process a few times breaking my Mums heart, but in the end was inevitable in 1970, being a single Mum, no support. Heart goes out to her Carol Pearrett. ❤️Mum
I don't know either of my birth parents names. They didn't want me and I was in the system for two and a half years. Got passed around a couple times. Finally got adopted but my parents won't give me any info about my parents. So I know exactly how you must feel. Stay strong my friend and best of luck to you.
Load More Replies...This is a wonderful story. It sounds like they'll be great additions to each others' lives. The adoptive parents deserve huge credit for keeping lines of communication open.
For those of us of a certain age, place, and ethnicity, those open adoptions are very rare.
Load More Replies...Nice, but not typical of adoptions. Mine was a closed adoption. It took 11 years to find biological family members, none of whom even responded. I'd much rather see the more average adoption stories, where the families DON'T meet, DON'T get along. It is more common, but never represented in media.
Also a lot of adoptions happen well after the kid is old enough to experience the trauma. I’m not sure of the numbers but many adoptions are not loved babies who are being given up for their own good / a better future - and instead are just kids who lost their parents to jail or drug addiction and got tossed into the system.
Load More Replies...Such a heartwarming story, from the beginning, every step of the way was done perfectly, credit for all the correct planning, wishing the family a life of happiness !!!
I first met my son when he was 8 weeks old and then the second time when he was 27 years older. He was what I described as "appropriately angry" but when we got to know each other that quickly faded. He has a great mom and dad and he turned out quite wonderfully.
Can you please add pictures and videos when they met if there are any please!!
As the adult adopted child, when I found my birth mother & siblings & extended family last year (at age 49), it was a relief. The experience was warm. I am not that close to that family, but it is good to know who they are. I am still closest to my adoptive family. -Dr M
Stories like this make me so so happy! This woman is a heroine for being so brave and going though with adopting her child and giving her a second chance at life!!
Hey I’m the 18 year old girl In this post. My name is Payton. I am thankful every day for my birth moms decision to put her wants and needs aside and think about me in every aspect she thought about me. My adoptive family was the best thing to ever happen to me and they are the reason I am here chasing my dreams. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and I wouldn’t have them If it wasn’t for my birth mom. She has never tried to replace my mom because she chose my mom she chose my dad and she respects them on every level. Meeting her is going to bring another person into the circle that loves me and everyone’s needs more people to love and support them especially at a far away college as a freshman. I hope this helped you understand a little more :)
Load More Replies...
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