How Do I Get Help in My Search?

There are volunteers called Search Angels. These are people who have been involved in a search of their own or who, like me, just want to help with this social injustice.

Many Search Angels belong to a number of groups. I personally belong to these yahoo groups - the registry, NYadoptees, Adoption Search Angels, searching-in-texas, nwasr (Pacific Northwest Searches) and to about.com. I am on hiatus from G's list. Most of these links are shown on the right hand side of this page. If you join one of those yahoogroups, you will have contact not only with Search Angels but also with others who are making the same journey as you are or who have already found their birth family,

If it is a medical emergency such as a transplant or the doctor needs more family information for a serious illness, apply for help at EMLA (http://www.adoption-free-search.org). There a team will swing into action to do the search.

Search Angels volunteer their time and money for these searches. One search can take hundreds of hours, although sometimes we are lucky and a simple look-up can do it, That is the exception. EMLA on the web site above takes donations to help offset the cost of subscription to various databases, If you can manage even a very few dollars, give a little to the cause. Many Search Angels from different groups ask the Search Angels on this group to help look something up, so no matter where your Search Angel is from, he or she may be taking advantage of these donations to get your information.

Theregistry, a yahoo group, is an excellent group with thousands of members. Even if you are doing the search yourself, join this group. Joan, the moderator, has added many files and links that are very valuable to the searcher. For example, Joan has added information that is specific to getting information in every state. Even as an experienced searcher, I start most searches by checking Joan's files. If your search is in NY state, Joan also moderates this group and has many files and links specific to NY. Having scary thoughts about being rejected, nervous about a reunion, or need to find out where to look for an obituary, These are the groups for you

Please take advantage of the state registry that the state that processed your adoption probably hosts. They can match up birth family members who register with them. Also http://isrr.net is a worldwide registry. There are a few more listed to the right of this message, Use them. Register your search, Check back frequently to see if there are more entries that might be for you. They have lots of success.

Ask for help! We have seen it before, we have heard it before. We will keep your information private if you wish,

Good luck in your search
DianeHH