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Woman Searches for Biological Parents Who Abandoned Her at Birth, Only Her Father Comes to Meet Her – Story of the Day

Sonali Bharadwaj
May 20, 2022
07:20 A.M.
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A woman who was abandoned at birth goes on a quest to find her biological parents, but when she eventually finds them, only her father shows up for the meeting. She is perplexed as to why her mother still refuses to see her after all these years until her father reveals something shocking.

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When God did not bless Eric and Christine Jenkins with their own children, the couple decided to adopt, and that's how little Hope came into their lives.

Christine and Eric adopted Hope when she was only three months old. Hope's birth parents had named her Lily, and they had abandoned her as a baby in a hospital with a letter and their picture.

Christine and Eric never found out what was inside the letter since they refused to take it from the orphanage director once they adopted Hope. They acknowledged Hope as their own child from the moment they laid eyes on her, and they didn't want to dwell on her past.

However, when Hope turned ten, things began to spiral out of Eric and Christine's hands as Hope's biological parents, Sandra and Andrew, suddenly contacted them...

Christine and Eric adopted Hope when she was just three months old. | Source: Pexels

Christine and Eric adopted Hope when she was just three months old. | Source: Pexels

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"What should we do now, honey? And what do they want from us after all these years?" Christine was terrified as she got Andrew's message to meet them.

"What can we do, Christine? We'll face them alone. I don't want Hope to be engaged in any of this!" Eric declared firmly.

"But honey, they're Hope's biological parents," Christine argued. "I don't think it's appropriate for us to deny her the right to know them!"

"But dad, where is mom? I want to see her!"

"Why not?" Eric said sternly. "Tell me one thing...Why do you have to be so forgiving to them, Christine, when they didn't care for their own daughter? Don't you remember how the orphanage director mentioned Hope was abandoned at birth? I'm not letting them even get close to OUR daughter! At least not until she turns 18," he snarled and walked away.

Christine sighed, knowing deep down that Eric wasn't wholly wrong, and ultimately, she agreed with his decision to meet Hope's parents alone.

Eric and Christine decided to meet Hope's parents alone. | Source: Pexels

Eric and Christine decided to meet Hope's parents alone. | Source: Pexels

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A week later, when the couple arrived at the restaurant where Andrew had organized the meeting, they were taken aback. Andrew and Sandra were dressed neatly but poorly, and they were in terrible shape.

Christine and Eric exchanged a worried glance before approaching them. "Hello, we are Hope's parents, Christine and Eric. Are you—"

Andrew and Sandra looked at each other, teary-eyed, and then at Christine and Eric. "Oh! Yes, yes…Your Hope…she's our daughter Lily! But where is she? Didn't you bring her along with you?" Sandra asked sadly.

"We're sorry," Christine said as she and Eric took a seat. "We couldn't manage to get Hope because she was busy with her classes. We might organize a meeting with her some other time. So, why were you so eager to meet us?"

Sandra frowned. "Oh, Lily," she whispered. "We just wanted to meet her and tell her that we did not abandon her on purpose. Actually," she paused. "We wanted to meet her sooner, but it took a while to summon the courage...We didn't have a choice when we left her, and we'd like her to forgive us. But now it appears that we won't be able to tell her ourselves."

Sandra and Andrew weren't financially stable to raise Hope. | Source: Pexels

Sandra and Andrew weren't financially stable to raise Hope. | Source: Pexels

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Christine and Eric saw the couple's sad faces and felt terrible for them, but they had already decided they wouldn't tell Hope anything until she was 18, so they simply asked Andrew and Sandra to stay away from their lives.

"I might come off as rude to you," Eric told them firmly, "but Hope is no longer Lily. She's our daughter! We raised her from when she was just a few months old, and we've decided that we won't tell her anything until she's old enough to comprehend everything!"

As Eric said that, Sandra and Andrew looked at each other, worried. "But she's our child! Our blood! She needs to know her parents didn't do anything intentionally!" Andrew retorted.

"Not now! She's still young, and I don't believe it's the right time," Eric said, then he stood up and walked away. Christine felt sorry for Hope's biological parents and apologized. But before leaving, she told them that she supported Eric's decision to tell Hope the truth when she turned 18. "So please don't bother us anymore!" she added before walking away.

Christine and Eric decided to wait until Hope was old enough to comprehend everything. | Source: Pexels

Christine and Eric decided to wait until Hope was old enough to comprehend everything. | Source: Pexels

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Years went by, and Hope finally turned 18. It was time for her to know the truth about her life, so Eric and Christine sat her down and told her everything, including that they had met her biological parents before but didn't let them meet her because they wanted her to be old enough to know the truth and then decide what she wanted for herself.

Hope was shaken by the truth, to say the least. "Mom, dad! Tell me it's a joke!" she said, unable to believe what she was hearing. "How can I be adopted? I have mom's deep blue eyes, dad! And I - I am your daughter!"

"I'm sorry, honey," Eric apologized. "But that's the truth. We have something your biological parents left you when they abandoned you at the hospital..." They handed Hope the letter and picture her parents had left her, and she burst into tears as she read their letter.

Eric and Christine had visited Hope's orphanage a few days before her birthday and had obtained the letter and picture for her from there. They finally wanted to get the burden of hiding Hope's past from her off their chest, but they had no idea it would turn against them.

"I HATE YOU!" Hope stated when she finished reading the letter. "WHO THE HELL GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM THEM?"

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"Hope," Christine said. "We did it because we were waiting—"

Hope broke down upon learning the truth. | Source: Pexels

Hope broke down upon learning the truth. | Source: Pexels

"Waiting for me to be older? Fine! I'm older now, so I've decided to find them and go back to them...Do you realize they abandoned me because they didn't want me on the streets with them? It's written in the letter! They left me because they desired a better life for me...But what did you two do? You did not allow them to meet me! How self-centered are you?"

Christine and Eric tried to explain to Hope that what they did was for her benefit, but she didn't get it. She was so enraged that she intentionally chose a university in a different town and never spoke to her adoptive parents ever again after moving out.

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Meanwhile, she didn't stop looking for Sandra and Andrew. She searched for them on Facebook, contacted her orphanage, and even checked public databases, but nothing came of it.

As a last resort, she posted a query online using the photo of her birth parents. Two years later, someone sent her a DM claiming to know the man in the photo...

The message included a photo of a thin, elderly man working at a shop in Hope's hometown, and the man who sent the message to her, along with an address, wrote: "I think the man you're looking for is my employee. He introduced himself as Peter. You are always welcome to come to meet him! I've included the address for my shop. He works the evening shift."

Hope didn't give up and found her biological father. | Source: Pexels

Hope didn't give up and found her biological father. | Source: Pexels

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Hope's eyes widened as she looked at the picture! It was indeed her father, Andrew! She replied to the message, asking the man to forward her message to Peter/Andrew. She wrote: "Hey, dad! It's me, Lily! I am so glad I finally found you! I'll be there tomorrow to meet you. Please bring mom with you. I have attached a cafe's address to this message. Hope to see you and mom there. I love you so much!"

That next day, Hope flew to her hometown to meet her parents. And when she finally saw her birth father, tears didn't stop streaming down her cheeks.

"Dad?" she asked as she approached a table where a thin, elderly man sat in shabby clothes. "Hello, it's me, Lily! I'm sorry it took me a while to get to you!"

The man raised his head to look at her, his eyes welling up. "Oh… Lily, is that you? My baby…" he cried as he got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her.

"Where is mom? I want to see her!" Hope demanded, and Andrew's face fell.

"Your mother?" he asked softly. "She's not going to be able to meet you, Lily," he sighed. "She's not going to..."

"After all these years, she won't meet me? What do you mean, dad?" Hope asked, her eyes welling up. "When she first met my adoptive parents, she was excited to meet me. Dad, please tell me where my mom is," she asked anxiously.

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Andrew worked as a sweeper at a store. | Source: Unsplash

Andrew worked as a sweeper at a store. | Source: Unsplash

Andrew sighed and took Hope's hands in his. "Please have a seat, sweetheart...There's a lot you need to know."

As Lily settled, Andrew revealed his story, which left Hope in tears yet again…

It turned out Andrew had changed his name to Peter after meeting Hope's adoptive parents. That meeting led him to understand that his daughter was in good hands since Eric and Christine were highly protective of Hope.

Andrew and Sandra knew that Hope might try to find them one day, but they were embarrassed to meet her because they'd just left their daughter at a hospital. So they started a new life for themselves with a new identity so that Hope wouldn't find them. He also revealed that, unfortunately, three months ago, Sandra passed away due to cancer.

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"She adored you a lot, Lily," Andrew added. "We both did, and once we met your adoptive parents, we knew you were in good care. We apologize for not being able to provide you with a good life. We were very poor, and we didn't want you to have a bad life like us...

Andrew broke down as he told Hope his story. | Source: Pexels

Andrew broke down as he told Hope his story. | Source: Pexels

"Trust me, it was difficult for us not to turn around and take you when we left you in the hospital, but we didn't have an option... I'm sorry," he managed to finish before breaking down in tears.

"It's okay, dad," Hope assured. "I never blamed you or mom for anything. I'm furious that my adoptive parents withheld the truth from me for so long! I blew the opportunity to meet my mother because of them! It's just not right."

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"Oh no, Lily," Andrew said, wiping his tears. "They're the ones who gave you a good life. You won't believe how much they adore you. I saw their concern and affection for you in their eyes when I met them. Believe me...you should be grateful to them. They looked after you just like your mother and I would have. Your mother's death was destined, honey...We couldn't have prevented it…."

After hearing Andrew speak so highly of Eric and Christine, Hope realized that she'd been too harsh on her adoptive parents and had overreacted. They did their best to raise her and never made her feel like she wasn't their blood.

Hope realized that she wouldn't have had a comfortable life if it weren't for Eric and Christine. | Source: Pexels

Hope realized that she wouldn't have had a comfortable life if it weren't for Eric and Christine. | Source: Pexels

Hope knew she had wronged them and wanted to make amends. She was not, however, going to leave Andrew behind. She took him home with her and decided to apologize to Eric and Christine.

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"I'm sorry, mom and dad," she said as she hugged them. "I was just too harsh, and I didn't think about how much you had done for me. I'm sorry...I also brought Dad home with me so he could live with us! I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, honey," Christine cried as she embraced her daughter. "We are so glad you came back! We have no objections to Andrew staying with us. Right, Eric? After all, he is your father."

Eric nodded. "Absolutely! We've always wanted you to be able to choose what you want, Hope. That's why we waited until you were older to explain everything!"

"Thank you so much, mom and dad...and I apologize again..." Hope said and hugged them tight.

That day brought about a host of changes in the lives of Andrew, Hope, Eric, and Christine, but the best part was that they were happy to be reunited as a family.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Don't jump to conclusions without knowing the back story. Hope was too quick to conclude that her adoptive parents withheld the truth from her for selfish reasons. She didn't realize that they had never intended to keep her apart from her birth parents. They just wanted her to be older to be able to make decisions for herself.
  • Family is built with love and not necessarily biology. Eric and Christine reared Hope as their own and eventually accepted Andrew wholeheartedly.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a restaurant owner who notices his daughter stealing food and follows her, only to find her disappearing into an abandoned basement.

This account is inspired by our reader's story 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.

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