The state of Colorado recently put into place two new adoption laws; one of which took effect of July 1, 2014. Because of this, an adult adoptee that has been searching for his birth mother for 26 years, finally received the information he had been seeking.

Colorado Senate Bill 14-051 gives adult adoptees access to their adoption records. Prior to this bill, adult adoptees in Colorado were left with minimal options in trying to find their birth parents. One option was to hire an attorney and request access from the court. The other option was to make a plea on social media.

Matthew Abdulla had done both. He had come to a dead end was frustrated and felt there was nowhere else to turn. Then a friend told him about the new bill being proposed and passed. With this information in-hand, Abdulla paid his $20 to the clerk and opened the documents to his past. He learned the full name of his birth mother. An internet search located his younger birth sister and from there he was lead to the rest of his birth mother’s family.

Abdulla quickly learned that his birth mother had passed away in 2012, but he also learned from his birth sister, aunts and uncles that she had never stopped thinking about him. He was told that she too, had searched for him but never was able to obtain information. He also learned that she was very young when she became pregnant with him and that it was just impossible for her to have raised him at that time in her life.

The information that Abdulla obtained made him feel “alive.” He explained that there was no longer a missing element to his life. He was so thrilled to learn the “why” about his adoption placement. It made him feel complete.

He recently attended a family reunion with his birth family and enjoyed hearing the family stories and seeing pictures of his mother through her life. There were many comments from family members that he looked so much like his birth mother and her siblings.

For more than fifty years in Colorado, women who placed children for adoption were not given copies of the documents they signed. Another Bill HB 1042 which became effective on August 7, 2014, gives birth parents access to those documents.

With today’s more common, open adoption, stories like these may be getting fewer. With open adoption, birth parents and adoptees have ongoing contact and access to one another, thus eliminating the curiosity and wonder about the events that led to the adoption. Of course, open adoption is a choice made by birth parents. There are still those who would prefer to remain anonymous or without any contact with the child.

For more information on open adoption and other adoption questions, contact Act of Love Adoption Agency. Act of Love has been performing successful open adoptions for over twenty years. With the years of experience and expertise, Act of Love is able to help birth parents and adoptive families with open communication that benefits all parties involved. If birth parents choose a more closed adoption, the counselors at Act of Love are able to help these birth parents with a plan that feels comfortable and right for them.

Sources: https://www.9news.com/story/life/2014/08/16/colorados-new-adoption-laws-help-man-find-family/14185165/