[Sisterofadultadoptee]

My name is Jen. My sister was adopted by my fahter and his first wife. They are from New York and adopted her when she was six months old from an agency in New York (all adoption info known excluding parents and such). She recently turned fourty and I and my parents ( her father and step mother) have noticed a change in her. Not an attittude or depression but some medical issuee. We all have our thoughts and have suggested her to go to the doctor but I think she is holding back because she can't answer past family medical history. And of course some of what we think is happening to her medically is also slowing down her memory and I quess in away motivate. She has asked me to help her at least find out a way to get medical records released( hoping they are still available after some things I have read on) After may visit to several websites I found this to be the busy and almost most useful. I'm asking for advice and how we can get started on what to know and how to do the process.
Thank you so much for your help and advice
I am very afraid for her stubborness' ( as I have called her all my life and she use to grin and say "Hey that is me!")That is one thing I have always admired about her, never once remembering she was adopted. That is the way our father raised us. To be honest. I did not know she was adopted until she told me when I was about 8 or 9 years old and it never changed the way I feel about her. It is so frustrating to not know what is going on with her and to watch her slowly decline in spirit and mind. Please help us! What should we do and how should we do it?

Thanks again.
Sister helping a sister.

[Dickons]

You need to find out if NY (or where your sis was born) has open access to adoption records.

If your state does not have open access then you will have to petition the court but chances are unless your sis goes to the Doctor and he/she feels the family medical history is need then ask for a note from the Doctor and then fill out the form (petition) to open her adoption records.

If the info above doesn't work then you need to start looking to see if her birth family is looking for her. There is a registry on this site and many other sites where you would put in the date of birth etc. You may get lucky and you may not.

I had my records opened due to medical reasons but it was after my 'events', doubtful they would have released them before that. Also my adopted mother is the one who petitioned for me which I think probably helped as well so...

Best of luck,
Dickons