It is an honor to share a story about one of the bridges The Cradle has helped create in our 99 years. We hope Ed and Georgia’s reunion resonates with you and we thank them for sharing their story.
Ed’s Story
Ed was adopted from The Cradle in 1960—he knew this from a young age. While he had not met his birth parents, he knew several other “Cradle babies” in his Lake Forest community, his brother and sister were also adopted from The Cradle and his parents donated to The Cradle regularly. It wasn’t until the birth of his second child in 1988 that Ed developed an urge to explore his roots. As some concerns grew about his son’s health, Ed was eager to learn more about his biological family’s medical history.
His search would provide more background than Ed could have imagined. Through work with The Cradle’s Post Adoption Support team, Ed obtained detailed medical records in 1988 and, in 2016, was introduced to his birth mother, Georgia.
Georgia’s Story
Georgia knew about The Cradle because she babysat a couple of Cradle adopted children growing up. When it came time to consider adoption for her own child, she remembers, “It was an important option for me, and I’m glad I took it. It couldn’t have come out better for Ed.”
Still, Georgia recalls feeling a sense something was unfinished, as she had a number of unanswered questions weighing on her mind. In the decades immediately following placement, she tried to do some research on her own, in an attempt to learn more while allowing Ed to maintain his privacy. Then in 2016, she reached out to The Cradle and learned that Ed, too, had made contact.
Cradle staff were sensitive to the complex emotions and thoughts Georgia was having about her experience choosing an adoption plan for her son. “I was allowed to think of these things,” Georgia says.
In August 2016, Georgia handwrote a letter to the child she had placed. “You are forever an unrequited beloved, a tight little knot in my heart, something missing…” Georgia wrote. “I want you to know I love you. I want to know you.”
Cradle staff sent the letter to Ed and served as an intermediary for communication between the two of them.
“It was a beautiful letter,” Ed says. “Once I read it, I gave her all of my information so she could call me.”
Days later, after an online introduction, Ed flew to New York to meet Georgia in person. Ed subsequently met his birth father, four half siblings and a step sibling. He was struck by the parallels between his own creativity and love of music and that of his birth parents, especially his birth father’s musical background as a sonic artist.
Ed and Georgia have maintained a strong relationship since their first meeting and visited The Cradle together in 2022. Georgia had not visited The Cradle since Ed was placed, and the two caught up on The Cradle’s storied red couch with the counselor who made their connection.
Reunions like these are made possible by Cradle donors and supporters. Our Post Adoption Support programs funded through generosity of our community. If you would like to support this work, please consider donating today.
