My name is Rebecca, and I am an adoptee. I say that
proudly, because my adoptive parents have not let a day go by without showing
me love and sharing with me how grateful they are to have me in their lives. I
was adopted from The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh when I was only 3 months
old. I grew up with an amazing family and an older brother that was also
adopted through The Children’s Home. We were always open about the fact we were
adopted and that our parents “choose” us. It made us feel proud! Although, as I
grew older, I started forming more and more questions about my birth story and
where I came from. I had a single picture of my birthparents that would always
keep me wondering who I looked like, where they were now, were they still
together?
In college I was pushed over the edge to finally take
that first step towards my search as personal challenges came and went. I got
in touch with The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh to inquire about searching for
my birthparents. This was it, I was going to go through with the search. At
first I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I had no clue the people I
would meet or how they would affect my life.
A few short weeks later I got an email from the social worker that said she
believed she found the current addresses to my birthparents and I was to write
letters to them summarizing who I was and why I was searching. She sent my
letter off and within days I got my first email from my birthfather. Pictures
were shared and short life stories through while we got to know each other a
little before meeting. I don’t think I breathed for those few days when we were
emailing back and forth. My heart was constantly pounding and tears constantly
flowing and we emailed several times a day. By the end of the week, we
FaceTimed for the first time. I finally was looking at the only person I knew
that had the same DNA as me, and I looked like him!
We met for the first time at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and
I finally got to hear bits and pieces of how I came to be and how much my
birthfather loved my birthmother but were not able to stay together. Since
then, he has a family of his own that is so loving and supportive! Over the
last year and a half we have spent a lot of hours together getting to know each
other and watching his sons play sports.
Being an adoptee can have its ups and downs and emotions. It isn’t always
easy to accept the fact that your birthparents weren’t able to keep you at the
time of your birth, for whatever reason. Any void I had with these emotions
were filled by the love and warmth of my adoptive parents. At the end of the
day, I am proud to be adopted and now knowing the story behind my adoption
makes me realize I should be happy with where life has taken me and whose hands
I have been placed in.
On Saturday, March 29, 2014, I had the opportunity to share my story with
hundreds of people at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh’s Shake Your Booties
Annual Gala that raises money the programs they offer, including the adoption
program. My very close family and friends came together to support me in the
amazing night that I got to share how blessed my life is and how my life has
been touched by adoption. I will never forget that amazing opportunity and how
I was able to touch the lives of the people that attended.
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