The Search - Post 3 - The Sacred Letter

I knew my adoption was facilitated by New York Foundling Hospital in Manhattan so around April of 2002 I wrote to them to find out what they could tell me about my life. I received the following letter which I consider to be sacred in my life.

March 13, 2002

Dear Ms. Zappulla:

In response to your recent request for non-identifying information, I am happy to share the following with you. I note, however, that you are interested in identifying information. This we are not permitted to give under New York State law. I am enclosing a list of agencies and websites that may be able to assist you.

Your birth mother, according to our record states that she was around 18 years old. Her mother died when she was very young and her father tried to raise her and her brother. When she became fifteen her father boarded her out as a domestic and used her meager earnings to help support the family. As a consequence she never had any formal schooling. She refused to continue in this way of life and left Puerto Rico with friends and came to New York where she lived in a furnished room with her friends in an undesirable neighborhood. Her maternal uncle invited her to live with him but she found this home too strict and left to live with friends and unrelated people. She is described as being short with dark hair and eyes and very pretty.

Your birth mother was introduced to your alleged father who was a white, single man, born in Puerto Rico, in his early 20's and in the U.S. Army - later stationed abroad.

You were admitted to the New York Foundling Hospital on November 29, 1953 on a Police Affidavit when you were nine months old. Your mother had asked a friend to take care of you on November 27, 1953, and never returned for her child. The woman called the police and you were admitted to our care on November 29, 1953. You weighed 20 lbs. and was described as having black hair, brown eyes, wearing a yellow snow suit and hat, white dress and sweater.

The Department of Welfare was notified and you were assigned a name and religion in sequence and transferred to Sheltering Arms on March 16, 1954. Your birth date was also assigned. A diligent search and investigation was made to locate your mother. However, she showed up at the New York Foundling on June 14, 1954, inquiring as to your whereabouts. She was vague and evasive about giving any information about herself and disappeared again. She was located in January 1955 and was requested to appear at the Department of Welfare to plan for you. She did not keep the appointment and another search was made for her until February 1958 when the search ended. She knew that you were being well taken care of and made no attempt to contact us further.

You were born at Greenpoint Hospital, Brooklyn on February 24, 1953 (verified by the Board of Health). You were baptized on April 4, 1957 by Rev. William Kopfman, O.P., and placed in your adoptive home on March 25, 1958, after a release was given by the Department of Welfare. You were legally adopted on March 10, 1959 in Surrogate's Court of Nassau County.

I have enclosed your medical record while you were in care at the Foundling. If you have further questions, I am in the office on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 to 2:30 and can be reached at 212-633-9300 Ex. 3293.

May you find peace and contentment in your life.

Sincerely,

Sister Mary deSales Collins, M.S.W.

Social Worked

Enclosures.

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Until I received the above letter, I always had a terrible gnawing, anxious feeling about my adoption. The feeling was constantly with me. Why? Why? Why? was the reframe. As I read this letter, the gnawing feeling eased out of my body and I have lived a life of greater peace since then.

Also I called Sister Mary deSales Collins to thank her for her letter. She was so pleased to hear from me. She said she sends letters out and doesn't usually find out how they affect people. I let her know the affect on me was great and positive and I appreciated her detailed response.

Lastly I told her I did research when I was in my early 20's and found out my last name was "Gonzalez" (see The Search - Post 2). I told her I knew she couldn't give me any identifying information but asked if she could just confirm that I had found the correct name. She said, "Yes, that's correct". OMG what peace she gave me.

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My next post on "The Search" will be about what I found in recent years through DNA testing.