Tamekia's Birthday Wish Comes True

Posted: 5/6/2009
Note: Names, Identifying informaiton and details may have been altered to protect personal identities.

On May 16th of this year, I will be turning 29. All I wanted for my birthday was to meet the woman who gave birth to me.

I was five the last time I saw her. She was a drug addict and my sister and I were taken away by social services. I was the oldest, and even at five years old I felt like it was my responsibility to take care of my baby sister. It tore me apart when I couldn't protect her. We weren't adopted until I was 12 years old, and for years I prayed that my mom would come back for us, but she never did. I just want to know if she is still alive and if she thinks of me on my birthday.

I have been looking for her since I was 19, but my search was going nowhere. When I contacted the agency that handled my adoption they told me the records were destroyed in a fire. One day I was flipping through the channels and I saw the show The Locator. I honestly never thought anyone would call me back, but I filled out the form online hoping they would. I got a call back a few weeks later and Search Quest America agreed to take my case. I was amazed when my investigator, Julie Jones, found my mother in less than a month.

It has only been 2 days since I first talked to my mom on the phone. Over the years I painted in my head this perfect picture. I thought for sure that she would have turned her life around and made a good home for my younger brothers. But unfortunately that is not the case. 24 years after I was taken away, she is still using drugs. She even had a stroke recently, but it didn't stop her from living her current lifestyle. Of course I am disappointed, but I knew this could happen. I did not start my search with blinders on and I understood I might not like what I found. I prepared myself for the worst and even recognized that by the time I found her she might be dead.

At least she's alive. I have several relatives who have welcomed me with open arms, and I look forward to getting to know them. I think the real victims are my other siblings, who never got out of the situation. One of my brothers has been to prison, and it's obvious that their environment made life hard for them. I am grateful that I got adopted by a good family and had a good life.

This year my birthday will be very different than all the rest. I am going to New York to meet my cousins and aunts and uncles, and of course, my mom. It is truly the best birthday present I could ever receive. Knowing where I come from helps me figure out where I'm going and be grateful for the blessings in my life. I have a beautiful daughter who will get to know her family, and be a part of their lives. She will never have to wonder who her biological grandmother is, and that is a blessing in itself.

Thank you Search Quest America for making my reunion possible. You have given me a great birthday present and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Tamekia.

(Written by Mica Burton on Tamekias behalf.)

Client ID#238399