Importance of Birth Certificate

To not have the right to access my birth certificate deems me to be less than others who only need to ask. To have to have a judge say it is okay to have the document that records my birth is WRONG, so incredibly wrong to do to any human being. I did receive my original birth certificate after a judge approved the petition by my mom for medical issues. The feelings that went through me when I first read my birth certificate cannot be described, simply surreal. I went and bought a beautiful frame so that it would be protected for all time. Kind regards,Dickons

I have not seen an original birth certificate for myself and probably never will without taking extreme measures. Its significance is that it gives me my last name at birth. With that I can do a lot of groundwork myself and not have to rely on any agency or other person. So many people treat us adoptees like we are unable to make our own decisions and the rights of every body else trump ours. I have all of the pertinent information about the time, date, delivering doctor, and hospital but I lack my last name at birth. My asister remembers a name but when I ask Catholic Charities if she is right or wrong they refuse to answer. I am close to hiring an attorney to petition the courts on my behalf in order to get the information that I desire. Once I have that I can answer your original question with a bit more clarity.

Having my original birth certificate validated who I am for me. My adoptive birth certificate was a "make believe" one to me. It had my adoptive parent's names on it but the doctor who delivered me too. It was a conglomeration of not only fact but also facts from my adoption. I know why it was formulated that way- It was meant to look like I had been born to my adoptive parents. It didn't have a time of birth or anything else I was curious about. Having my original birth certificate signifies in my own mind that I do have rights as an adoptee. We are so often at the mercy of others and how they feel or perceive how we should feel about adoption. Our rights are many times secondary to the whims of others or to the laws instigated by those not touched by adoption. On a truly personal level though - it is a symbol of my having attained something I'd longed for all of my life. Mine is in a safe place and I look at it (and pinch myself) a lot! Snuffie

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I have a copy of my birth certificate that shows my adopted parents names. How do I go about getting the original bc if it was a state that has closed adoption and how do I go about a petition? Do you have to get an attorney?

Apparently I never had a birth certificate and my birth was never officially registered. To me, if I could have a birth certificate it would help further symbolically solidify my identity and officially validate my actual existence and birth as a human being. Without my birth certificate, somehow my birth into this world seems like it didn't really happen. Even if I was issued a 'substitute' certificate, rather than the official original (which doesn't exist), I would still continue to feel as if my birth was somehow manufactured and not 'real'. Yeah, and the medical/legal role of the birth certificate would definitely help. I hate having to explain that I don't have a birth certificate when I have to apply for identification and am relieved that my citizenship documents will suffice.

Searchingspirit, In the state I was born in all you had to do was to go to the county court (superior?) and ask for a form to fill out to ask that the court open your files. Usually you need to have medical issues and that your doctor feels it would be beneficial to obtain your medical history...then it is up to the reality of the 'luck of the draw' basically as to whether or not your petition goes to a judge who thinks it is reasonable...based on his views and how he feels that particular day. Go to the adoptee media forum and read the article by a former NJ judge on this very topic...the thread was fairly recent and perhaps started by Dpen...and was a couple of pages long. Kind regards,Dickons

Ripples, my adad never had a birth certificate either! He was one of 12 children - born on a kitchen table in their little house! Births didn't need to be filed in his community back then. So even though he wasn't an adoptee, he was never "legally" certified either. Just an interesting fact, I guess. I know how much my original birth certificate means to me and I waited many, many years to get it. So I can understand a bit about how you feel.