Finding My Birthfamily - A Story of Adoption Search and Reunion

Stepping Out on the Web

More of this Feature PART ONE - SEARCH • Getting Started • Stepping Out on the Web • Finding a Woman Named Jones PART TWO - REUNION

Related Resources • Definitions of Terms • Index of Search Resources • Making the Decision to Search • Search Info for Adoptive Parents • Search Tools • Why Adoptees Search • Library

FOR YOUR LIBRARY "The Adoption Reunion Survival Guide" by Julie Jarrell Bailey and Lynn N. Giddens Read Review More Books

I continued to explore the various adoption web sites and began reading messages posted on an adoption forum. I even posted some of my information on a search board to see if anyone was searching for me. I eventually came across a web site that listed "Searchers." Searchers will, for a fee, do the searching for you. At this point, I was getting a little obsessive about finding my birth parents and, without telling my family, I decided to contact one. She said she'd review my information and let me know how much it would be and if it was realistic to even begin to search. To make this determination, she needed all of the non-identifying information that I had about my birth parents. Thinking I actually had quite a lot (ages, ethnicity, professions, etc.), I quickly sent the information to her.

Within 24 hours, she contacted me to let me know that I didn't really have enough information to complete a successful search. She said that, based on the fact that my birth name was a common name, it would be difficult to locate more information unless I obtained the rest of my non-identifying information from the agency that dealt with my adoption. After hearing this information, my first thought was "OK, I can do this but, what was my name?" Once I started breathing again, I asked her. My name at birth was Julia J. Anderson.

Within the next couple of weeks, I requested my non-identifying information from Holy Family Services in Los Angeles. Of course there was a fee. So, after I begrudgingly wrote a check for $150.00, I immediately sent away for the information. And began to hurry up and wait.

In the meantime, since I already knew my birth name, I figured I might as well start doing a little searching on my own. My first discovery was a database on the web containing the California Birth Index (this has since been taken offline). The index lists births in California from the early part of the century to today. I was determined to find the Julia Anderson that was born in Los Angeles County in May of 1970. What I found was just that, plus a section of the birth record that listed "Jones" as the mother's maiden name. Because I knew the approximate age of my birth mother, I took a chance and searched for any women born in 1949 with a last name of Jones. I found three potential matches and then got stuck. I needed that information from Holy Family. I knew that even though it wouldn't provide names, it might give me other information that would make the trail hot once more. So, I began to wait again.

PART ONE: SEARCH
Page 1: Getting Started
Page 2: Stepping Out on the Web
Page 3: Finding a Woman Named Jones

PART TWO: REUNION
Page 4: First Contact
Page 5: To Meet Him or Not?
Page 6: Mistur Andirsun
Page 7: Was It Worth It?
© 2002 Brigid R., All rights reserved

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