Adopted at 4, DNA Test Reveals Hidden Family Truth at 60

In this episode of Voices of Adoption, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam speak with Patti Eddington, whose life story reads like a mystery novel; three birthdays, multiple birth certificates, and a childhood disguise that lasted decades.

Hidden Identity

Adopted at four after living in foster care, Patti grew up believing the version of her origins her loving parents shared. Patti discovered at 15 that her birth certificate showed November 15th while she'd been celebrating November 20th her entire life. At 55, a chance comment from a beautician about her childhood hair transformation sparked the first questions about her past.

DNA Discovery

A DNA test gift from her daughter at age 60 shattered everything Patti thought she knew about her identity. The results revealed no connection to the family she believed was hers and instead connected her to relatives with names like Lopez and Cantu. What followed was a journey into her true heritage, including meeting biological family members who had been searching for her and discovering she had lived with relatives as a toddler before being placed in the court system.

Family Secrets

Patti's story explores the complex layers of adoption secrecy, multiple birth certificates, changed birthdays, and the trauma of family separation that occurred when she was taken from loving relatives at age two. Her journey reveals both painful separations and the healing that can come through truth and connection across decades, while honoring the adoptive parents who raised her with love.

This episode demonstrates how identity searches can reveal both painful separations and unexpected family bonds waiting to be rediscovered.

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