Adopted Sister Reunited With Biological Family After 46 Years
Published: February 16, 2006
A Louisville family is celebrating after a reunion 46 years in the making. Since 2002, an Arizona woman, Kathy Briscoe, has been looking for her biological family. Briscoe, born Edna Thompson, was given up for adoption by her parents in Louisville in the early 60’s. WAVE 3’s Anne Marshall reports.
It’s the kind of family where, even when everyone’s together, no one quite knows for certain if everyone’s really accounted for.
“We haven’t taken a head count yet, so I’m not sure,” said Tammy Wright in a house full of relatives Wednesday, only a few hours before she would meet her sister for the first time.
“I have two of my sisters here, my brother here, my nieces and nephews — about 15 nieces and nephews right now.”
Wednesday afternoon, for the first time, everyone in the family was finally together when a lost sister will made her way home.
“Today we’re all here because my adopted sister found us,” Wright said.
Wright knew she had a fifth sister, but decades of searching only led her as far back as 1961, when her parents felt their bi-racial baby could have a better life elsewhere.
“They was getting locked up, they was getting harassed, they was getting threatened, and it was just too much pressure on my mom and dad, so they decided to give her up.”
Even without Edna, the family tree multiplied.
Says Wright: “I told her ‘you may be getting more than you bargained for — it’s a huge family.”
In fact, Thompson has eight biological brothers and sisters, and more than 30 nieces and nephews. Her parents, however, passed away a couple years ago.
Thompson’s absence is measured in years, but her presence on Wednesday was just a matter of time.
While waiting at the airport, Wright and a crowd of relatives paced with anticipation. “My heart’s beating so fast,” Wright said.
Then, finally, after decades of searching and another 10 agonizing minutes at the airport, the missing sister was finally found. “There she is!” screamed Wright’s younger sister.
Immediately, the family embraced. And Edna, in tears, said “I’m home.”
For a family where head counts are routine, Wednesday they were counting blessings.
Says Wright: “Keep praying, because God’s not sleeping. He’s always watching. And eventualy he answers prayers. He sure has been good to us.”
Unfortunately, Edna will not be able to meet her biological parents. Her father died in 2003, and her mother passed away in 2004.
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