The elderly gentleman seemed a bit bewildered as he hovered at
the threshold of the Birthright of Fredericksburg office. Director Rosemary
O’Grady was just opening the office and invited him in. Sensing some confusion
and hesitancy in him, she suspected that the visitor was probably in the wrong
place. Actually, he was right where he wanted to be, and he had a story to
tell.
He first handed over a check as a donation to Birthright of
Fredericksburg. He then explained that, at that very same hour in Rochester, N.Y.,
his daughter Beth was meeting her firstborn child, a girl named Rachel, now 39
years old. He said Birthright had facilitated her adoption all those years ago,
and now he wanted to show his gratitude and share the family history.
In a later interview, Beth filled in the details of her story. Just
19 and starting college, she discovered she was pregnant. She didn’t feel ready
to be a mother. Additionally, the father of the baby denied paternity, which
devastated her. She was afraid of sharing the news with her parents and tried
to hide the pregnancy for a few months. When she did divulge her condition, she
found them completely and lovingly supportive; in fact, they offered to help
her raise the baby.
Parenting was not the best option for her, she felt, and she
decided to go to the local Birthright office for advice and help. There she met
Mary Jane Kittredge, the volunteer client advocate working that day, who
welcomed her warmly and discussed alternatives like adoption. Consulting with
her parents, she decided to place her baby for adoption through the aegis of
Bethany Christian Services. Throughout the entire pregnancy, Beth appreciated
the love and support of the Birthright organization, especially the kindness of
Kittredge.
Life went on for the young college student after she gave birth
in October. Eventually she married and became the mother of three children and
two stepchildren. The Stafford County resident continues in her successful
career as a federal worker in Washington and has added “grandmother” to her
resume.
Meanwhile “Baby” Rachel, approaching 40 years old in October, is a
busy mother of two children and a career woman. She grew up in a loving family
in Rochester and had a happy childhood. Her parents told her from an early age
about her adoption and always were open to her searching for her biological
mother if she was interested.
Rachel wanted to learn more about her roots and made several
attempts over the years but ran into roadblocks at every turn. She stepped up
her efforts when she was preparing for her marriage. She even contacted Oprah
Winfrey for help in her search. (There was no response from the famous
personality.)
A friend who knew of Rachel’s wish to find her biological mother
gave her a present: a DNA test kit which she submitted to Ancestry.com. Over
several months, she messaged 40 people and received 12 responses. There were
some false leads at first, but at last Rachel hit pay dirt.
Beth’s extended family members were all together at a friend’s
house enjoying dinner Aug. 4 when Beth’s youngest son, Michael, noticed an
email from a stranger. Along with a lot of probing questions about his origins
and locale, the woman mentioned the DNA test and the fact that she, Rachel, and
Michael were an exact match. This startling communication that began at dinner
continued on the phone until about 2:30 a.m.
When Beth finally got an opportunity to talk on the phone,
Rachel’s first words to her were, “Thank you so much. I’ve had a wonderful
life.” Mother and daughter talked at length on the phone again the next day,
and Rachel’s adoptive parents also called Beth. They made plans to meet in
person as soon as possible, and it wasn’t long before Beth and Michael flew to
Rochester for a joyous reunion.
In October, Rachel visited Fredericksburg, where she was born at
Mary Washington Hospital, and met many members of Beth’s clan. One stop in the
local tour was the Birthright of Fredericksburg office where she and Beth
received a warm welcome and where the organization’s mission statement remains
the same: “It is the right of every pregnant woman to give birth, and the right
of every baby to be born.”