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WWT Succeeds Where Attorney Fails... Adoptee reunited after 10-year search.
 From: Linda A. Sent: 07/15/98 4:17AM To: mail@worldwidetracers.com Subject: Re: Pictures Words can never express my gratitude for you and your persistent efforts in searching for my birthmother. Ten years ago, while driving in my car, I was listening to a talk program on KCBI, a Dallas-based Christian radio station. Kirk Rutherford, of Worldwide Tracers, was talking about various searches, which resulted in the reuniting of birthfamilies. Since I was adopted as a little baby, the subject matter caught my attention. I jotted down the telephone number and placed it in the door of my car, where it remained for weeks. Then I went inside and turned the TV on, only to hear Oprah discussing the same topic with a group of adults, who had recently made similar efforts to reunite with their birthfamilies. What a coincidence! As time passed, the note in my door was later discovered. Kirk and I eventually met and the search began. My previous efforts with an attorney had yielded nothing in the Fort Worth courts, where my adoption records were sealed. During the summer of 1997, Worldwide Tracers discovered my Indian heritage in my non-identifying file, which I had previously obtained from Austin. This new discovery brought encouragement to the effort, as the law demands that the adoptee has the right to know of any tribal heritage. Why didn't my attorney know this years ago? In December of 1997, Worldwide Tracers supported me in Fort Worth, while I petitioned the court once again to open my adoption records. While waiting for the judge to hear my petition, the bailiff approached me to follow him down the hallway to yet another court. My stomach was getting queasy, as I felt the entire effort was useless in the first place. Then, before I knew it, I was standing before the judge, in disbelief at the words which I heard. He was more than willing to release my birthmother's name to an intermediary, which I requested to be Pat Rutherford of Worldwide Tracers. As we walked out of the court, my anticipation was at an all-time high. As my birthday approached in February, Worldwide Tracers was desperately trying to locate my birthmother. The effort continued into March, then April. Mother's day was coming up in May and my anticipation was finally at a peak. We were so close. I knew something was about to break. My friends and Sunday School department were praying for all who would soon be a part of this reunion. God would need to prepare everyone's heart. On May 11, 1998, the day after Mother's Day, Pat called me with the long awaited news. He was guarded as he spoke and I knew something was wrong. He had good news and bad news. The bad news was that my birthmother had died at Baylor Hospital, in 1989, ten minutes from my home in Dallas. She carried her secret of my existence to her grave and I never had the privilege of telling her thank you for the gift of life. So what was the good news? I had a brother and sister, who both live in Fort Worth. Pat had just spoken to my brother, David. He in turn was going to call my sister, Sandie. WOW!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. My drive home that day is somewhat of a blur. The first person I called was my mother (adoptive). She has been very supportive of my effort and to my knowledge, never threatened. I have always felt blessed to be in the home where God placed me. Being loved was never a question. I couldn't wait to talk to David, so I picked up my cell phone and away we went. What a precious person he is. I feel so blessed. David's immediate acceptance of me was more than I could begin to imagine. He seemed so much like me. He would make comments like, "It would have been so much fun for you to have been there with us, growing up on our Grandparent's farm." He proceeded to tell a million details of his childhood and our mother. I couldn't believe it. Could this really be happening to me? We must have talked for 45 minutes. This was the moment I had been waiting for. He had already called our sister, Sandie. She was definitely having difficulty accepting this incredible story. Our mother never told anyone, but her mother and her doctor. what a heavy secret to carry for a lifetime. During the next few days, David and I had many conversations. I knew in my heart that after the initial news, he would more than likely be having a difficult time himself. He and Sandie had some tough days, processing the entire event. After all, I was just a voice on the phone, with no visible proof of who I was. I had been expecting and hoping for this moment for ten years. I had many times alone to process the entire situation. He and Sandie were completely caught off guard, and totally stunned. We decided to have a reunion on Saturday, May 16th, at David's house in Fort Worth. Those were the longest six days! My son, Travis, and daughter, Amber, joined me, along with a friend, and we met our new family. It was more than I could ever dream or imagine. David and his wife Debbie, and their children, Zach and Kim, Sandie and her husband, Sam, and Aunt Billy, my mother's sister, were all there. They were open armed and accepting of this stranger who suddenly appeared in their life. What an awesome day it was. It was something like taking a sip of water out of a firehose. We looked at hundreds of pictures. All three of us had a picture taken on a shetland pony when we were little. You would have thought it was the same horse. I didn't want the day to end, but was afraid of wearing out my welcome. My friend, Karen, videoed the event and took pictures. As Aunt Billy left, she hugged me so tight and said, "I feel like I've got my sister back." David is so much like me. He has never met a stranger, so it is easy to talk and share. Sandie is precious and I am looking forward to spending time with her. Each of us have a son and daughter and many stories to share. We are all getting to know each other. We talk on the phone and e-mail frequently. There are a few years to catch up on. It will take time, but I have a lot of that. Having just come out of a divorce, I find God's timing to be perfect again. It was God that reached down and placed me in my adoptive family, to be loved and protected. And it is God that has chosen to reunite me with yet another family, my own brother and sister. So there you have it. Worldwide Tracers, you didn't give up! May God always bless you and provide and protect your families. May His blessings be ten fold to you for the joy have brought to me. Love to you all,
Linda A.
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