I made a shocking discovery at the age of 14 when I came across secret documents
A YOUNG woman accidentally made a shocking discovery about her family life.
She came across the information when she came across hidden documents during a move.
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Jessica Murace, now 20, was 14 when her family decided to move in 2018.
She explained that growing up she always felt like she “didn’t belong.”
But it wasn’t until she had the unexpected revelation that she knew the reason why.
Jessica recalled how the children at her school often made comments assuming she was adopted, saying she didn’t look like her parents.
And it turned out they were right.
“I grew up not knowing I was adopted, but I always felt different, like I didn’t quite fit in,” she explained.
Jessica had previously suspected that she had been adopted as a baby and now she had the social services documents to prove it.
Jessica grew up in Manchester with her adoptive family after being placed in foster care by social services.
When her family moved, she discovered a social services book informing an adoptee of their story – which she had never seen before.
“There were pictures of children in there, and one looked like me,” she said.
“That’s how I discovered the truth through social services documents, as a 14-year-old it was overwhelming.”
Jessica initially kept the revelation to herself – struggling with feelings of shock and sadness – and did not tell her parents that she had discovered the document.
“I cried a lot, it was a very lonely time, especially because I felt like I couldn’t talk to my adoptive parents about it,” she remembers.
“It’s hard for us to talk about it, but it was selfish to keep it from her, and we regret it so much and live with it every day,” her parents Gillian and Pietro said.
“We love her so much and just didn’t want her to push us away.”
How does adoption work?
In the UK, there is a lengthy process involved in adopting a child and it can take up to six months for the paperwork to be completed.
To even qualify, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be over 21
- You must be legally resident in Great Britain for at least 12 months.
- No criminal convictions, especially if related to child endangerment. This applies to everyone in your household.
You will also need to undergo an initial background check and assessment to determine if you are suitable for adoption.
Potential parents will also have to undergo a training and process to match them with the right child.
They had initially told Jessica that she was adopted when she was five, but forgot what she had been told.
She asked her adoptive parents if she was adopted later in life, but they denied it because they did not want it to have a negative effect on their daughter.
But it wasn’t just her heritage that Jessica discovered in the documents.
She was shocked to learn she had five biological siblings after seeing their photos in the social services directory.
Jessica looked up Heather, 25, John, 24, Katy, 22, Nicole, 21, and her late brother William, who died last year at the age of 18, on social media.
She initially didn’t tell her adoptive parents what she had discovered until she decided to reach out and make plans to meet.
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After tracking them down on Instagram, she came across a group photo of her siblings at the age of 14.
The siblings then all met in Birmingham in April 2019 in a ‘surreal’ and ’emotional’ reunion after fifteen years apart.
Jess now sees her siblings several times a year and says finding them has been “life-changing”.
“Finding my siblings has been life-changing. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m glad I met them. It’s given me the opportunity to know who I really am,” she said.
“It was surreal. For the first time I saw people who looked like me, it was completely overwhelming.”
The luxury retailer recalled the nerve-wracking process of reaching out to her long-lost siblings.
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“I just sent them a message saying, ‘Hey, I think I’m your sister’ and they asked me to prove it to make sure it wasn’t someone faking it – so I sent personal information and a birth certificate,” she said.
Jessica and her siblings agreed to meet both adoptive parents – halfway at a restaurant in Birmingham.
“My emotions were mostly shocked. I’m not normally an emotional person, I didn’t really know what to say,” she recalls.
“It was just weird to see them look so much like them. I saw myself in them.”
Jessica has since built a relationship with her siblings, visiting them several times a year and says it finally feels like they really are siblings.
Jessica emphasizes the importance of honesty about adoption and believes it is important to be honest with children about their beginnings.
“When I found out I had a huge identity crisis, it felt like my life was a lie,” she said.
“But I don’t regret discovering the truth.”
Jessica says the discovery helped her understand why she always felt like a deeper connection was missing.
“I look forward to further developing our relationship,” she concludes.
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