Adoptee Results Hopes 62 - For religious, medical and ethnic history 32 - Hope to find birthparents who are happy, happily married (not necessarily to each other) and happy with their families 42 - Closure for both birthparents and myself 38 - Sense of belonging and a sense of family 39 - Hope to find out who I look and act like (personality) 2 - I want them to know I turned out ok and that I'm thankful for the sacrifice 3 - Answers to questions of conception 2 - 1 - I want to have my original birth certificate and to have my name back. 2 - I didn't search for my birthparents 2 - Hope to have a happy and successful reunion 4 - Just plain curious 1 - Needed to know 1 - Right to know Expectations 94 - Expect that we will exchange information on family history, medical history, and ethnic history, to find out who I look like 4 - Birthparents happy, although not necessarily living together 16 - Expect that birthparents will no longer be alive before I find information 13 - Expect to have a great reunion 1 - Develop a relationship but not replace my current family 7 - Expect rejection 8 - Expect confusion (one day to be accepted and the next day rejected) 36 - No expectations 1 - I have a close relationship with some of my children and know they are alive and well, and that is good enough for me 2 - Jut want to reunite 1 - No reunion 1 - Expect answers to questions of conception 1 - Expect to find out circumstances for the choice to put me up for adoption 1 - Expect things to go smoothly and everyone to get along 1 - Expect birthparent to be shocked, but to have a comfortable relationship Results of Reunion from Day One to End of Year One 123 - I have not had a reunion yet 1 - Birthmother died several days before we were to be reunited 10 - Wonderful relationship, getting wonderful information, and we talk every day 5 - Feel like a complete person with no huge gap in my soul 13 - grateful to have found my family and to have a relationship with them 3 - Answers to medical, ethnic and family history 2 - Found lots of anger 8 - Found many similarities in the way we look and act 3 - Very polite and non confrontational 1 - Rejection by maternal family. 1 - Communication 0 - My birthparents found me. I was able to get medical and other information 0 - My birthparents found me. I was very confused and upset at being found. 2 - My birthparents found me. I was very angry, as I had parents and felt that they had no right to impose upon me. 1 - Started good, but became very stressful 1 - Feel like I really don't fit in Results Between Year One and Year Two 138 - Been reunited less than a year 21 - Getting better all the time, with more communication and contact 5 - We see, talk or write less than before, but are still friends 2 - Little or no contact at all 0 - Been a very harrowing experience, and one I don't want to go through again 0 - Little or no contact at all 0 - My birthparents found me. I was able to get medical and other information 0 - My birthparents found me. I was very confused and upset at being found. 0 - My birthparents found me. I was very angry, as I had parents and felt that they had no right to impose upon me. Results From Year Three and On 169 - Been reunited less than 3 years 4 - Getting better all the time, with more communication and contact 4 - We see, talk or write less than before, but are still friends 0 - Little or no contact at all 1 - Been a very harrowing experience, and one I don't want to go through again 1 - Had good relationship for 27 years, until she died. 0 - My birthparents found me. I was able to get medical and other information 0 - My birthparents found me. I was very confused and upset at being found. 0 - My birthparents found me. I was very angry, as I had parents and felt that they had no right to impose upon me. Back to SOAR Handbook Index