Take a Break Magazine
November 30, 2006
The mum's story
I named my daughter Cheri
before she was taken from me. I wasn't allowed to send her any Christmas
and birthday cards. So every Christmas and birthday, I bought her a card and
put 'on the mantelpiece. I lit a candle and gazed into the flame and tried
to imagine how she was growing up.
I hoped that her adoptive
family were good people. Most of all, I wished to tell her that I hadn't
given her up without a fight.
I
met a man called Paul and we had a baby. Paul would say: 'One day your
daughter will come and find you.’ But would she?
The years passed.
Then, in 2004, I read Take a
Break's campaign,
Witch Hunt of UK Mums, and realised I was not alone. I told my story and
started my own group, Unity Injustice.
Mum’ Yvonne lit a candle each
Christmas and birthday for her daughter.
Cheri's
16th birthday came.
I posted a message on Genes
Reunited: My name is Yvonne Coulter and I am looking for my daughter. She
was born on 16th March 1989 and her name was Cheri but it's been changed. I
want to know how she is and to let her know that I think about her often.
I didn't hold out much hope.
Then one day I logged on to
my computer and saw a message. I read it and started to shake. I hurried
next door and fetched my sister Debbie. Struck dumb, I pointed to the
screen. Debbie said: 'She's found you. And she's left her mobile number’.
It took three hours for me to
compose myself. I phoned and said: 'Hello, I'm your mum.'
I heard a sob.
I said: 'Have you been OK?'
'Yes,' she said. 'I've been
looking for you.'
My daughter was now called
Tammy. She still felt like my daughter. Next day I went to meet her from
school. Would I recognise her? Was she angry with me?
I saw a girl with straight
hair and dark eyes and I moved towards her and we simply embraced. I took in
her warmth and her smell and thought: I've missed you so much.
We talked. I was pleased to
learn that Tammy had had a safe upbringing.
She liked school and had lots
of friends. But she had always felt that something was missing.
I asked: 'Did anyone tell you why you were adopted?'
She said: 'I was told that my father had run away and you couldn't look
after me.’
I said: That's not true. We were the victims of an injustice.' When her
adoptive parents found out that we'd met, they were hurt and upset. They
didn't know my name had been cleared. Later Tammy decided to live with me.
I told Tammy about my campaign to get family courts opened up to
scrutiny. She said: 'I'd like to help.'
She was invited to address the conference. When she finished her speech,
I saw people wiping tears. I was proud. This is an important step in
ensuring that other innocent families do not suffer as we did.
Yvonne
and Tammy together for Christmas 2006
Yvonne Coulter, 34, of
Ironville, Derbyshire
For more information on
Yvonne's Unity Injustice group, visit the web-site at
www.unity-injustice.co.uk
