Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Found: Brother
It's really hard to know how to write this blog. Today, a major dream came true from my mom, my brother, me, and for several others who have prayed throughout the years. Today I found my brother.
Starting from the beginning, when my mom was a teen, she was had a baby boy on January 17, 1980. She was 15. As you can imagine, when she found out she was pregnant she was scared to death and didn't tell anyone. She was small in her pregnancy so she was able to hide it well. It wasn't until she was in her third trimester that her pregnancy was discovered by those around her. Her heart wanted to keep him forever, but she knew that what was best for him and for her was to give him to a family that would be able to take care of him and give him the life he needed.
The years after his birth, mom suffered like none other. She knew she had a son out there somewhere, but she could do nothing to find him until he was 18. At the time 18 seemed like a long way off, and it was. When he was 18, she searched for him, but was never able to find him. The person who helped her look for him told her that there was no baby born with the description she gave in the hospital on the date he was born. This devastated mom, but she did not give up. She posted her name with his birthday all over the Internet believing that if he wanted to find her he could. From there, she left it to him. She didn't want to interfere with his life if he was happy where he was.
However at 18, "brother" as I called him, got a case worker and spent two weeks in Seattle searching out his mother. His search returned void as well.
Over the years since I learned of my brother, I too have wondered. In fact, my name is also posted with his birthday on the Internet. It wasn't until three years ago when I had watched yet another talk show (forgive me for that) where lost children are reunited with their birth parents that I stumbled across the name of a confidential intermediary (CI) in Vancouver, WA who told me that she could help me find my brother. I then called my mom and asked her if she would allow me to look for him. Mom agreed, but I needed paperwork signed and I lived in NC. I put the project away for two years until I was about to have my own little girl. The thought of giving up my own blood gave me chills and set me on the search again.
I applied to get her non-identifying side of the birth certificate from the state of WA. It came to mom's house, but then it got lost. I was disappointed, but I guessed that eventually it would turn up when it was God's timing. Sure enough, about six or seven weeks ago it turned up and I sent it to our CI.
Last Friday, our CI called to tell me that she had found my brother and that he had actually wanted to find us! You don't know how exciting this was for me. All this time, mom had talked to other men who were put up for adoption and it seemed that most did not want to find their birth mothers. Mom had prepared herself for the worst. The CI told me that she would give me his name and number as soon as she got his signature in the mail stating that it would be okay for her to give it to us. Let me just tell you right now, it takes a loooooooooong time to get to Wednesday from Friday when you're waiting for something like this.
Sure enough the CI called me this morning at 11:03am. My brother's name is David Williams (ironically, my mom's maiden name was Williams). After talking to the CI, I called Dave right away, and to make a really long story a little shorter, my mom and I are going down to Portland this weekend to meet him!
God is in this. Dave is a believer! The timing of this could not be more perfect. Unfortunately, Dave has Lymphoma pretty bad and is looking for a match for a bone marrow transplant. Oh Lord, please let one of us be a match. Please pray that we are and that Dave is able to recover from this cancer.
To read a little bit about Dave's side of this story, click here.
Dave, we're so excited to finally meet you. May our Lord use every step of this for His glory as He already has!
Starting from the beginning, when my mom was a teen, she was had a baby boy on January 17, 1980. She was 15. As you can imagine, when she found out she was pregnant she was scared to death and didn't tell anyone. She was small in her pregnancy so she was able to hide it well. It wasn't until she was in her third trimester that her pregnancy was discovered by those around her. Her heart wanted to keep him forever, but she knew that what was best for him and for her was to give him to a family that would be able to take care of him and give him the life he needed.
The years after his birth, mom suffered like none other. She knew she had a son out there somewhere, but she could do nothing to find him until he was 18. At the time 18 seemed like a long way off, and it was. When he was 18, she searched for him, but was never able to find him. The person who helped her look for him told her that there was no baby born with the description she gave in the hospital on the date he was born. This devastated mom, but she did not give up. She posted her name with his birthday all over the Internet believing that if he wanted to find her he could. From there, she left it to him. She didn't want to interfere with his life if he was happy where he was.
However at 18, "brother" as I called him, got a case worker and spent two weeks in Seattle searching out his mother. His search returned void as well.
Over the years since I learned of my brother, I too have wondered. In fact, my name is also posted with his birthday on the Internet. It wasn't until three years ago when I had watched yet another talk show (forgive me for that) where lost children are reunited with their birth parents that I stumbled across the name of a confidential intermediary (CI) in Vancouver, WA who told me that she could help me find my brother. I then called my mom and asked her if she would allow me to look for him. Mom agreed, but I needed paperwork signed and I lived in NC. I put the project away for two years until I was about to have my own little girl. The thought of giving up my own blood gave me chills and set me on the search again.
I applied to get her non-identifying side of the birth certificate from the state of WA. It came to mom's house, but then it got lost. I was disappointed, but I guessed that eventually it would turn up when it was God's timing. Sure enough, about six or seven weeks ago it turned up and I sent it to our CI.
Last Friday, our CI called to tell me that she had found my brother and that he had actually wanted to find us! You don't know how exciting this was for me. All this time, mom had talked to other men who were put up for adoption and it seemed that most did not want to find their birth mothers. Mom had prepared herself for the worst. The CI told me that she would give me his name and number as soon as she got his signature in the mail stating that it would be okay for her to give it to us. Let me just tell you right now, it takes a loooooooooong time to get to Wednesday from Friday when you're waiting for something like this.
Sure enough the CI called me this morning at 11:03am. My brother's name is David Williams (ironically, my mom's maiden name was Williams). After talking to the CI, I called Dave right away, and to make a really long story a little shorter, my mom and I are going down to Portland this weekend to meet him!
God is in this. Dave is a believer! The timing of this could not be more perfect. Unfortunately, Dave has Lymphoma pretty bad and is looking for a match for a bone marrow transplant. Oh Lord, please let one of us be a match. Please pray that we are and that Dave is able to recover from this cancer.
To read a little bit about Dave's side of this story, click here.
Dave, we're so excited to finally meet you. May our Lord use every step of this for His glory as He already has!
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