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I had my son in April 2004. I had JUST turned 18 and was 4 weeks away from graduation. I gave birth to him on a Thursday and was back in school on Monday. Neither here nor there.
I tried as hard as I could with little to no support for a year and a half before deciding to let my high school parenting teacher and her husband adopt him. He is now 5, almost 6. Due to my ex, my sons father, the adoption process took a very long time. He was almost 2 when they initially took him in but 4 when the adoption finally went through.
I was told that the adoption was going to be open. I didn't put any stipulations down when I signed my rights away. I was told several things that have not been kept up, even with my reminders. I was suppose to be able to talk to him on or someday close to his birthday every year, see him once a year when we were in state and I was told I would be receiving a letter and pictures once a year with all of his new achievements listed.
Since the adoption has gone through, my husband and I have had a beautiful daughter. We sent Christmas letters out to all of our family, including my sons family. With their letter, I sent a personal letter to my boy. I called to ask if they received it and get worried when I got no answer or no reply for a couple weeks. I called my mom (My foster mom from the time I was 12 to the time I graduated) who is very good friends with the A-moms mother. I find out they have no intention of ever telling him of my daughter or giving him any letters I send him. They don't want me in his life and will do everything they can to deny that I exist.
I was also told that they wanted to adopt my son because they couldn't have children of their own. That it was impossible. Only to find out that when they had me sign my rights away, they were 4 months pregnant.
Checks that I've sent twice a year for the last 2 years to be turned into bonds have never been cashed. Packages I send for his birthday have been returned. I guess I should have seen this all coming. I didn't even know that the adoption went through until a week afterward when I heard it from my mom. Because of this, I have started a box/bin for him. Letters that I write I keep a copy of and put it in this box. I don't send gifts anymore, and any money/check that I would write for a bond, I put in an envelope and keep it in a safe. I know he will look for me, and when he finds me, I will not look like the abandoning mother they've made me out to be.
I've been nothing but lied to by this family. And it breaks my heart that I was deceived by someone I "knew" I could trust.
I don't want to "take him back". I understand from years in the foster care system that uprooting a child is seldom good. But is there anyway I can revise the adoption stipulations?? Is there a way to make the things they gave me their word on, in writing now, so that they're required to??
I don't know if there's anything you can do legally to make them live up to their promises to you - and I'm sure someone will be along soon with advice.
But I wanted to say that I'm so sorry to read about what's happened to you. As an adoptive parent, I can't understand how people can make promises they have no intention of keeping. It breaks my heart, and it makes me *so* angry...
I hope that if they are as set as it sounds like on keeping you out of your son's life, that someday when he is old enough to seek you out he will be comforted by all the things you're saving for him over the years so that he'll know he wasn't forgotten.
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I'm sorry to hear about this. What was the relationship like with the parents/your son in the years before he was officially adopted?
I don't know if you and they entered into an OA agreement or not, but if you did, you should check your state's laws. In my state, OA agreements are legally enforceable.
Is there a way to contact his parents directly now? I obviously don't have any answers for their behavior, but I would try to figure out what is going on if possible. Or is there some other person -- from the agency or the lawyer or whatever -- that could try to intervene? Good luck, and again, I am sorry.
I too am so sorry that you are going through this and being pushed aside. As an adoptive parent myself who is opening a closed adoption I really feel the best is for the child to have some kind of contact through letters and cards or actual visits. What ever feels appropriate for all involved.
It is possible that things are not going smoothly with the adoption and that there may be some attachment issues or something else that makes it difficult for the Aparents to give you warm fuzzy updates that they would have wanted to give. It si also possible that they are insecure in their relationship with child and need to deny your existance for the time being. I believe that this is very shortsighted on their part as the child will grow to an adult and then the questions will have to be answered.
I think that you are right in keeping copies so that you do have something to show your son when he is older. Maybe a gentle {not demanding} letter to the Aparents asking them how they are feeling about the openness and what would feel right to them at this point would help. Leave it open to them contacting you in the future. Maybe a VERY gentle reminder that you are keeping copies for the future would help to remind them that that day will come.
But it is also very important to remember to be appropriate yourself. The one and only letter that we have ever received from my daughter's birthMom was so inappropriate that I couldn't give it to her as it would have terrified her.
I hope that as time goes on they will soften their stance and maybe see that it can be healthy to have positive contact.
I really appreciate the support and advice. It's been hard finding anyone else who can truly understand what I might be feeling and it's been incredibly difficult.
As far as directly contacting them, they've been ignoring my calls and I live 8 hours away. I'm only in the same state once a year. I suppose going to their door the next time I'm in town... but I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that. I don't know what their response would be and that makes me a bit uneasy. I'm not even sure they're actually OPENING any mail from me. But that is a good point to make. Remind them that I'm keeping copies and leaving a voice mail, even, to ask them to communicate better with me.
The relationship beforehand, I thought, was great. I knew them personally. I talked to them regularly. She was my parenting teacher in high school while I was pregnant, his younger sister was/is one of my best friends and his mother was my English teacher for four years. I know the family well, and I think that's what might be upsetting me most. It's not like I hardly knew them and trusted them on that. I was giving them my trust based on MANY relationships. And the way she behaved DURING the adoption process was amazing. Always let me see him. And once, before the adoption went through, let me take him to see my mother who was in a hospital at the time. She was always telling me that I will always be his "mother" and would never deny that and would always let me talk to him.
I don't feel like I've ever requested anything ridiculous. And after the adoption went through, I knew that's what things were. Requests. I told them I was even ok, after awhile, if he just referred to me by my name instead of 'mother', and I started to back off after a short while. It was difficult at first because I had had him for almost 2 years.
It's just hard for me to comprehend how any parent would WANT LESS (healthy, of course) love in child's life.
Dear Kahrmuh,
I have heard a lot of disturbing OA stories in the past year but this one is by far one of the most heartbreaking. I am so moved by the pain in your post and just wanted to extend my sympathy to you in what you are dealing with.
I'm afraid that even though I relinquished two children I have no knowledge of OA legalities. Can you possibly consult legal aid in your area or perhaps an attorney?
Your anguish in this situation is understandable. ((((Karhmuh))))
I would strongly suggest keeping documents of everything you write to your son and all actions you take on his behalf so that when/if the day comes that you are reunited with him, you will have proof that you tried to maintain contact with him through the years.
I'm sure others members of this birthparents forum will probably have better advice but I wanted to lend my support to you.
Wishing you peace today,:flower:
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