Lanae's Story

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Lanae Strovers

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I have always known I was adopted. My mom told me everyday that I was adopted. This was nothing out of the ordinary for our family. My parents are the most amazing parents. They have been supportive through this entire journey! I was given the gift of a photo of my birth mother at age 16. From that photo, I tracked her down, however, she asked me to never contact her again. I was devastated. But as I have grown, I realize that is nothing personal - she doesn't' know me. But, I knew my birth dad was still out there. 

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I had to have surgery shortly after that encounter and was in bed for three months. I thought I would give 23&Me a chance. I got my results and had no close relatives. So I then started my research. Maybe it was the pain pills or lack of sleep, but I also posted on the Colorado for Sale site on Facebook asking "looking for my birth father." 

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Low and behold, I got a response. Not from anyone who had a connection to me, but someone willing to spend hours combing through my DNA to help me find a match. Kathy Strandberg Powers - you are a godsend! After some Facebook stalking, I found one of my 23 & Me matches, and she actually messaged me! This was the first person who was biologically related to me on my paternal side that talked to me. She sent me a giant family tree book, which was one of the keys to my story. 

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The pieces started coming together, and it came down to three brothers that could be my dad. The oldest said there was no way. The youngest was 12 at the time, so I assumed it was also not him. That left me with the middle brother. I pondered for a while. On April 27, I worked up the courage to send him a Facebook message. I got a response almost immediately.  We talked and I shared my story. I knew at that moment in my heart it was him. Over time, a friendship was formed between us, but I needed to know for sure he was my birth father. We did a private paternity test, and he was my dad. He didn't know I existed. He didn't know he had a daughter. Mark Harrington is my birth father. And here we are today. There is no guide book of what to say, or how to act, but we are figuring it out. I couldn't be more excited to expand my family and my family couldn't be happier to open their arms to him. This is my adoption story.