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Who Am I? My name is L.D. (pronounced el-DEE) Best. I am a lucky reunited birthmother. I relinquished in California in 1963, and I didn't learn I was even allowed to search until 1993. I consider myself lucky for three reasons: First, I found a search angel to help me and, by her efforts and the work of anonymous others she asked for help from, I finally reached the point in my many-year search where I actually had it narrowed down to five addresses. In these days of sealed records, being able to connect with anyone who can actually help -- and then having it cost almost nothing -- is undeniably good luck. Second, my son actually found me before I found him, and it was totally by accident! He was experimenting with a new search engine, searched on his own first and last names (which that search angel had gotten for me) and found one of my many ISO posts/registrations! I received his mail on my birthday, in November 1998. At first I thought it was another angel sending more info ... then I realized it was FROM Vincent!! Mothers Day 1999 I had all three of my children not only in the same state, but in the same town, and in the same building!! Third, we are in reunion. He's an adult half way across the country from me, I'm his "Mother in Ohio" and we're friends. No parent could ask for more than to be friends with his/her children. I'm a "former lots of things," have a couple of degrees, and most recently worked as a columnist for a small local newspaper. But, once I got my candy apple red electric scooter (I'm a disabled veteran, too), I realized I could do things I hadn't been able to for over 20 years. And I found myself turning into an "activist." For years I've answered various pleas for letters, from people trying to prove to legislators, etc., that most b'mothers were not promised confidentiality, and most of us supported open records. And as I was preparing to go to a DC march in July 2000, I realized that there was no central clearing house for statistics on birthmothers [and others] who really did want open records and original birth certificates made available to adult adoptees, no central place for "action alerts," items in the news, etc. So I got brave and founded B'FOR. I made my first decent web page and put it up for all to see. Then I dug deep in my pockets and registered the domain for B'FOR. And now I'm working to give birthmothers and others a chance to contribute, in ways small or large, to our ongoing fight for open records. Most important, I am trying to gather enough members into B'FOR to constitute a valid "sample population" and provide statistics to any and sundry on birthmothers who believe in open records for adult adoptees. Our children deserve equal protection under the law, the right to acquire a true birth certificate, and the freedom and information to find their true heritage -- warts, and all. Will I see the day when all adoptees in all states have full civil rights? I don't know. But I do know I'll keep working to do what I can to work toward that goal. l.d. |
 mailto:l.d.best@b-for.org |
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This page last updated 2 Septenber 2000 . . . L.D. Best