Birth Family Search Discovery #4

Taking this journey in searching for my birth family has and is going to be a lengthy process. I am fully aware that I may never actually find these people and I am at peace with the risk that I am taking. This search is teaching me patience and increasing my faith. If anything in this process, those two qualities are worth acquiring.

As mentioned in a former post, my first discovery was learning that my birth name was given to me by one of my social workers, as opposed to my birth parents. This was daunting information at the time and definitely discouraging but I realize that again, this is a process and I am slowly preparing myself for the facts that may or may not be positive. After mulling over this discovery for a couple of months now, I am beginning to think that this isn't necessarily a setback but just another piece of "my" history. This piece of information is a part of my story and I appreciate putting another part of the puzzle together.

Now my second discovery was learning that I was born at 1:30pm, weighing 7.7 pounds and 18.9 inches in length. These measurements and time of birth are simple facts that most individuals know about themselves, that I have never known. When it is someone's birthday, most usually know the exact time... and until now, I never have.

My third discovery was finding out that my birth mother was 33 years of age and had graduated from primary school. My birth father was 40 years old, had graduated from primary school and was engaged in commerce by trade. I also learned that my birth parents were a married couple and that they planned not to have any more babies, as they already had 5 children. When my birth mother had me, they could not afford to raise another child and that is what led to my placement in an orphanage.

Now... for my fourth discovery! I was reviewing the Korean Adult Adoptee Tour that Holt holds every year, and read that part of the itinerary is meeting one of the Holt pediatricians that offered care to many waiting babies from the 1960's - 1990's. Her name is Dr. Byung Kuk Cho. Since I was adopted in 1987, I was curious as to whether I was a patient of hers prior to my adoption. I went through the few documents from my adoption that I have and and came across the following exam report from a doctor's visit, stating that she was the overseeing pediatrician that treated me on December 17th, 1986. I was just two months old! It is amazing to me that this doctor is still alive and resides in my birth country at this very moment. To know that I could potentially meet this woman who knew me at just a few days old is mind-boggling and exciting all at the same time. This Korean Adult Adoptee Tour is a dream come true!