[girl-11-09-1949]

~


I just found out my birth mother was a college student, and came to the New Orleans area from "up north" to give birth, but I don't know if that means New York north, or Shreveport north. I'm not sure what the person meant by "up north". She told her daughter about me, but since she's deceased, we don't know what she meant, only that my mom came from up north, whatever that meant.

I WAS born at LaRocca's Hospital in Algiers, across the river from the city of New Orleans, and was probably delivered by Dr. Henry A. LaRocca himself. Oh, yeah, I'm female. Not sure if my mother knew she had a girl, or even that I lived. Many mothers were told their babies died, back then.

One cousin was told by her mother that the family was wealthy, and that's why they didn't want their name tarnished by their daughter's having a baby out of wedlock.

I don't think I was officially adopted, but was just given to my adoptive parents, who may have already been patients of Dr. LaRocca.

If anyone was in a maternity home in the New Orleans area in mid-to-late 1949 (I was born in November), do you remember anyone who supposedly had been in college "up north" somewhere? I guess anywhere north of New Orleans should be considered!

What maternity homes existed back then, anywhere in the New Orleans, Algiers, or southeastern Louisiana areas?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

If my birth mother happens to read this, I'm not interested in wealth, but I really want my medical history, and I'd like to know my heritage, on both sides, if possible. I have a medical condition which I'll tell her if she contacts me. Also, I want my children and grandchildren to know their medical background.

If your mother gave up a child in similar circumstances, please contact me. I've always wanted a sibling.

One more thing, if my birth mother or father want to still keep me a secret, I will respect their wishes, but I hope at least one of them will want to meet me at least once. I want to see who I look like. I don't look like anyone in my adoptive family. I hope you understand.

Here's a photo of someone who MIGHT be my birth mother. It was taken on Mardi Gras, 1962, in New Orleans.

http://www.geocities.com/girl_110949 Does she look familiar to anyone?

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks again!




~~~

[britland]

Here are a few basics for getting started with your search...
1. Write for the non-identifying information. (Click to learn more about this)
Adoption Services
P. O. Box 3318
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3318
Sample letter for adoptees
Sample letter for birthparents
Adoptees are entitled to this information by law. Birth-families and birth-siblings are entitled some information as well. The "Non-ID" can be helpful to birth-mothers, birth-fathers and birth-siblings searching to confirm the date of birth, maternity home, hospital and other important search information.
Note: Protestant Home for Babies triad members must request the Non-ID from the state.
If you are searching for somebody from another agency and the agency is still in operation, try requesting the Non-ID for the adoption from there first. Here is some information for some maternity homes in LA, mostly New Orleans.
2. Register with the official state of Louisiana Adoption Adoption.com - Information on International, Domestic, Child & Agency Adoptions, Stories, Laws -!
The Louisiana Adoption Registry is a registry established by the Department of Social Services to facilitate voluntary contact between adult adoptees, their birth parents and/or siblings.
Please note that the registry used to require one hour of counseling before registering, this is no longer the case. "There is also a counseling requirement that must be met prior to voluntary release of any identifying information, but this is not required in order to register."
3. Register with the International Soundex Reunion Registry
It is the world's largest reunion registry!
ISRR is a mutual consent reunion registry for persons desiring a reunion with next-of-kin. This agency serves the needs of family members who have been separated from each other by adoption, divorce, foster care institutional care, abandonment, etc.
Our registration services are free and ISRR is supported entirely by contributions received directly from people we serve.
Contact ISRR:
By Computer: ISRR
By Mail: ISRR, P.O. Box 2312 Carson City, NV 89702
By Phone: (775) 882-7755

4. Register with some online adoption registries.
It happens and it's heart breaking! A match is made, BUT the e-mail address listed no longer works. The poster hasn't left a name or any kind contact information behind. I see people on adoption.com asking, would the person looking for so and so please contact me. A sad situation indeed.

When posting and registering your information be sure to

1. Make a decent subject line with all pertinent information! Everybody can’t read every post, so narrow it down for them with a good subject line.
   
   Example “Female adoptee ISO Birth-family, New Orleans, 2/15/66”
2. Keep your e-mail address! Or update all the places you have registered with your new e-mail address. Take notes! If you have an alternate e-mail consider posting this. E-mail addresses come and go!
3. Register with the Louisiana Adoption Registry and state in your post that you are registered with the Louisiana Adoption Registry. Or with the International Soundex Reunion Registry and state that you are registered with the ISRR! This will help in the case of the "old" email address.
4. Do NOT divulge the entire contents of your "Non-Identifying" information online! The city, state, date of birth, maternity home, and sex of the adoptee is plenty to facilitate necessary contact between potential matches! It is helpful to keep parts of your Non-ID a secret in case you come across someone on the Internet that could be a birth-relative. This information can be used to compare notes and to weed out imposters!!

Adoption.com - Largest online registry
Registry Adoption Registry - Records, Reunion Registries, Adoptees, Search Reunite
LA Forum http://forums.adoption.com/louisiana-adoption-records/
Louisiana Adoption Database
http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=16&groupid=219060&ck=
Adoptee Connect - Orleans Parish Adoption Registry
http://www.adopteeconnect.com/p/a/101119/

Adoptee Connect - Louisiana Adoption Registry
http://www.adopteeconnect.com/p/a/1019//aq

G's Louisiana Adoption Registry
http://www.aci.net/schaefer/page81.html

5. Contact Adoptees' Birthrights Committee in Louisiana . ABC is a private, volunteer driven, charitable organization providing non-profit search and support assistance in Louisiana. Excellent resources and wonderful people at two locations! ABC can still help you if you are out-of-state, send them an email. DO IT!!!