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Story of my Search
I have always known I was adopted. When I became a teenager, I started the search to find my parents.
However, I didn't really know where to begin looking. In 2001, I met a woman on the Internet. She and
I became E-mail pals and chat buddies. Her name is Beth. When we first started chatting and exchanging
E-mails, I told her how much I wanted to find my birth parents. Do not get me wrong, I loved my adopted
parents. I just felt the need to learn more about where I came from.
I know I am Vietnamese, but I do not know much about Vietnam and its culture. Plus, I wanted to try and
learn why my parents had given me up. After a years worth of chat, E-mails, and web site postings, I was
given some helpful clues from my mother.
My mother told me about Rev. Andrew Tibus bringing me from Vietnam and she told me the names of the attorneys involved. I passed this
info to Beth. She decided to help me locate Rev. Tibus. In just two or three days, she had his phone number
and mailing address! I couldn't believe it. She found him by doing a Google search and searching the Internet
White pages. Rev. Tibus and his wife were very happy to hear from me.
By miracle, they were traveling to Orlando, Florida the following week I contacted them. So, my mother drove my
family and me to Orlando to meet the man who played a big role in my life!! It was wonderful!! I learned from Rev.
Tibus the attorney Mr. Phu lived in the United States. Again, I told Beth. And again, she found the attorney.
She contacted the American-Asian Bar Association. One of the attorneys there sent an E-mail to a friend in Washington.
This friend knew of Mr. Phu!! Mr. Phu and I exchanged E-mails. He didn't remember my case but he did give me very helpful
information about adoption procedure. Well, Beth wasn't done trying to locate people for me!! She found a web site
about the orphanage I had stayed in.
This site is maintain by Veterans who served in Vietnam and who adopted the orphanage while they were in Nam. Beth sent
an E-mail to the webmaster giving him my E-mail and web site addresses. This really got a ball rolling!! A man by the
name Josef W. Rokus contacted me. He told me about a Catholic Nun, Sister Susan McDonald, who had spent time in the orphanage.
He had passed my information to her. She too sent me an E-mail!! It was wonderful!! Sister Susan proved to be a huge
help. She was able to look over my adoption papers. It was from her I learned about my stay at the orphanage. She also told
me the orphanage is now a school for the blind!! Sadly to say, finding my birth mother is almost impossible. I was one of
hundreds of children born in a poor, war torn country.
However, I do have hope that maybe there is a woman who is looking for her little, baby girl. Maybe she remembers where she
left me and has wondered what became of me. I know I have done all that I can do in my search for her. I do plan to one-day
travel to Vietnam. I would love to see the place I was born. I want to learn more about where I came from and pass this knowledge
and understanding onto my children. Who knows, maybe Ill be able to take my whole family for a visit.
The title was made with a tutorial from
Karens Creations
the background I made with the tube
from Karens Creations with psp.
Please do not remove any of the
graphics without permisson.
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