One Tweet Is All It Takes

The value of social media. The value of Twitter followers. The value of knowing your background and history is priceless to many people. For, Ayu, that was no exception.

When she was 12, Ayu found out that she was adopted, according to a local news article. Now, at the age of 22, she is planning her wedding and would like her biological mother to be present. Knowing that social media often is successful in connecting people, Ayu went to Twitter. She shared all the information she had including an old picture she had of her birth mother, her birthmother’s name, Siti, and the city name where she had once resided in hopes that someone would recognize the picture or name.

Ayu’s one tweet was retweeted over 18,000 times. Due to this outpouring, in a matter of hours, Siti’s sister saw it and contacted Ayu. Through their communication, Ayu was given Siti’s phone number. They were able to talk to each other and met in person that evening, according to a recent article.

This longing to know your heritage, identity, and birth family is not a new concept. Many people who have been adopted struggle with their identity without that knowledge. The value and importance of this knowledge, about their birth family and heritage, is not for comparison or competition or as an insult to the parents that adopted. It is to provide biological information and answer questions that only the birth family can answer. That is just one of the many reasons why open adoptions and having a relationship with the birth family is valuable for the adopted person and the members of the triad.

Not only was Ayu able to meet her birth mother that evening, but since then, she has also been able to meet three of her five biological sisters. She hopes to meet the other two siblings soon.

Ayu’s story is a great example of communities coming together through social media to help a dream come true; Ayu was able to invite Siti to her wedding.