Advertisements
Hi
I recently sent a letter to my local MP to highlight what I and countless others have gone through through no fault of our own. It reads as follows:
Dear Mr Kilfoyle MP
I am currently going through some fairly challenging times, emotionally and financially and really would appreciate your help and guidance in possibly raising an issue in Parliament.
I am an adopted person. My mother got pregnant with me very young and consequently I was given away for adoption. Two years ago I decided to trace my roots and find my natural parents so I applied for my birth records from Barnardos. While it was a relatively simple matter to find my birth mother as the records were still in existence, it appeared nigh on impossible to trace my natural father as he wasn't named at the time and my natural mother could not remember his surname, only his first name.
With the flimsiest of information, I embarked on a two year search. But nothing is free in this country. I had to hire private investigators to track people down and take photographs, I had to join expensive websites to cross reference birth and death certificates. After that I ended up with 3 names and had to pay for 3 DNA tests to find out which one of them was my natural father. Each of those tests cost me over 400 as I had to opt for the court approved paternity test to ensure it was all above board. In total, I estimate that I've probably spent close on ã4,000 tracking down my birthright information.
The reason I am contacting you is to highlight my overwhelming belief that it's completely inhumane and morally unfair that I should have to pay for this, not only financially but emotionally. The money I had to pay out lessened my ability to do other things for two years, things that other people take for granted. I want to know if there can be a system put in place where adopted people can access a grant so that when they decide to search for their roots, it will not cost them financially. If a person got wounded on the streets of the United Kingdom, there is a system in place to ensure that they are compensated for the physical or emotional wounds they suffer. There is no such system in place for adopted people who possibly have the worst wound of all, the primal wound where our mothers and fathers didn't want us.
In my opinion there should be two things put in place: Primal Wound Compensation paid out to every person who was abandoned by their parents and an additional grant to enable people to track down their birth information. We shouldn't be forced to walk this path alone. Having to pay money to gain knowledge which should be every human being's birthright is perverse and in my opinion, morally bankrupt.I hope you can help. I'ts taken a lot out of me to write this email and I hope my words have done justice to this, in my opinion, very worthy request.
Yours Faithfully
Like
Share