4 Families Refused to Adopt Me in 5 Years Because of My Birth Mom – My Story

I was raised in a children’s home for most of my childhood, and several families tried to adopt me but backed away after some time. However, I was finally adopted by a single woman who revealed something I never expected.

My earliest memories were at the group home for children. I didn’t remember anything about my parents, and when I asked some of the workers there, they told me I had been there since I was a one-month-old baby.

Over the years, I imagined that my birth parents would someday come and apologize for leaving me. I dreamed they were international spies who had to travel the world and couldn’t care for a child, so they left me there while they saved the world. Yes, my fantasies were wild like that.

But reality is like a bucket of cold water, washing away every thread of peace someone can find in their dreams.

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I would watch other kids get adopted and crave to be as excited and happy as they were when they left with their new parents. However, it seemed almost impossible to me.

“Well, I think it’s time for the truth,” she began, and her tale rocked my world.

By the time I turned 5, I had been rejected by four families. I didn’t remember three because I was too young, but I eventually discovered and learned about them.

I did, however, remember the fourth couple, and they had a boy who was older than me. They wanted to adopt several kids since they had tons of money and wanted a big family.

I played with the boy and started calling him brother even before anything was settled. They visited me a couple of times, and I was the most excited. I had already told all the other kids I was finally getting a family.

“We’ll come for you tomorrow, Elizabeth. You’re going to love being part of our family,” I remember the woman telling me as they were leaving one day. I wished I could remember her name now because they never came back.

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I cried for a long time, waited by the window, and stared longingly every time a car pulled up. But they were gone and never coming back. After that, my dreams ended. I was just a little child, and all hope was lost in my world. Clearly, something was wrong with me as people changed their minds about adopting me over and over again.

Therefore, I did my homework and was nice to other kids, but it was like I went through the motions. My light was out for good. I don’t even know why I remember those things so clearly. I was five and numb most of the time.

The years passed, and I was good at studying. I also read some books but hated those with dragons, fairytales, and impossible scenarios. Those things belonged to the dreamers, and I was not one of them anymore. I was a realist. For good.

Finally, at 10, a single woman came to get me. I couldn’t believe it.

“But there are tons of little kids and babies here. You could adopt one of them,” I shook my head when they told me she had chosen me. I had never met this woman before.

“Elizabeth, that doesn’t matter. Oona wants to adopt you and be your mother,” a staff member said, and I shrugged. I packed my few things and went with the woman.

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She was friendly, although I sometimes saw her looking at me strangely. As if she was sad and in pain all the time. But whenever she saw my eyes on her, she would smile as brightly as she could.

Oona lived in a two-bedroom apartment, and it was amazing to get a room to myself for the first time ever.

“What do you like to do for fun?” she asked me during our first dinner together.

“I like to read,” I answered, and she perked up, telling me about all the novels she adored. Most were fantasies, and I told her I hated that genre.

“That’s fine. I have other books, and we can visit a library to get you what you like. Do you also want a library card?” Oona offered, and I was happy about that. She seemed nice. Maybe, this wouldn’t be so bad, and I would not continue to be a jaded ten-year-old kid.

A few years passed, and I got used to having a mom. There was only one issue. Most people who saw us told me I looked just like her, which was odd. I had not noticed that before, but it became glaringly evident when others pointed it out.

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“Mom, what’s going on? Why do we look alike?” I asked her finally, and she looked at me with the same sad and pained eyes as she did at the beginning.

She breathed a huge sigh and sat next to me. “Well, I think it’s time for the truth,” she began, and her tale rocked my world. I finally understood why so many families had rejected me during my time at the group home. It was all because of her. She was my birth mother.

“I left you there because the man who got me pregnant threw me out. I was alone in the world and had nothing to my name. It was my only option so that you would have a house and food,” Oona explained. “But I didn’t want you to get adopted by someone else. I was coming back for you! I wouldn’t ever abandon you. I just needed time to get my act together.”

“So, you sabotaged my adoptions?” I asked, shocked, hurt, and confused.

“It wasn’t sabotage. At least, not in my mind. I was fighting for you. I begged those families. One of the ladies at the group home was sympathetic to my cause. Despite being your birth mother, I couldn’t get you back, but she wanted me to have a chance. So, she would tell me when someone was interested,” Oona continued brokenly. “I met them outside the shelter and begged on my knees for them not to adopt you. I would tell them everything and how much I wanted you back. Lucky for me, they listened.”

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“So, there’s nothing wrong with me?” I asked, thinking back to my years of numbness and feeling inadequate.

“Of course not! So many people wanted you. You were the most lovable and adorable child in the world. I know it was selfish, and I’m so sorry for that, but I couldn’t let you go just like that. Can you forgive me?” Oona asked, wiping tears from her cheek.

“Well, yeah. I forgive you because you’re my mom now. But I wish I could’ve known sooner,” I said, not knowing exactly how to express how I felt. I forgave her and was relieved that there was nothing wrong with me. But I wished things were not like that.

“I will do my best to make up for that time in your life. I will become the best mom in the world for you. And I will always fight you,” she added, opening her arms.

I smiled and did the same, hugging my mother tightly. I had hugged her before, but this time it was different. I knew the truth now. I was 13.

That night as I lay on my bed and looked at the ceiling, I started fantasizing about us going to the beach, buying my prom dress, getting ready for my wedding, and Oona holding my first child. My dreams returned.

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And soon, I started reading some of Oona’s fantasy and fiction books. I daydreamed often, and I even started writing myself. I was back to being me, and my mother has been by my side ever since.

But what would you do? Would you have forgiven your birth mother so easily? Would you have wanted to be adopted earlier?

Tell us what you think, and share this story with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who found out that the biological mother who abandoned her lived next door.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.