How Do You Find Your Biological Parents?

One of the most nagging questions in an adopted child's mind is "who are my biological parents and why did they give me up? Most searches before you turn 18 are totally useless. If you are under 18, the one place I would start asking is the parents that adopted you. In almost all states, when an adoption is finalized by the court, a new replacement birth certificate is created and the very original one is sealed by the courts with all the other documents relating to your adoption. The most important document you have available to you is your replacement birth certificate. There is a ton of information on that certificate that you will be able to use if you are really, truly serious about finding your biological parents. Much of the information is copied directly from the original, sealed certificate. My first suggestion is to read that document, memorize that document to the point where you could repeat it verbatim. Why? A simple example of why you want to do this is because the hospital where you were born has to be listed there. A simple thing like that could open the door to many other clues, such as the name of the doctor who delivered you if it isn't on the replacement document and the date you were born. A hospital may be reluctant to give out any information becuase of the HIPPA privacy laws. They can give you certain pieces of information that will be helpful in your search. For example, you could ask them how many boy baby's or girl baby's were born on that day. Knowing that is a big deal. Then you can contact the doctor if he is still practicing. There are obviously some very special circumstances around the birth of a child that is to be given up for adoption. In my case, even though the doctor delivered thousands of babies, he actually remembered the case of my birth for several reasons. The medical history of my biological mother indicated that childbirth had caused the death of her mother. He also remembered that my biological mother did not want to give me up for love or money. He told me that there was a lot more screaming going on about my mother not wanting to give me up than there was about the pain of childbirth. Right there, you have some very valuable pieces of information to begin this long and difficult search. Please bookmark this blog, and by the time I'm finished, you will have a much better chance in finding the answers to your questions about your adoption. Joseph M. Sabol is a world class videographer and the author of the book "Adoptee - A Childhood of Torment." For further information go to http:// www.adopteeadoptee.com