Adopted Daughter Found After 71 Years
Brooke Mayo has reunited with her adopted daughter after 71 years. Mayo gave her daughter up for adoption in 1942. In 1945 she was told that the child had died. Although she gave up her search, she lit a candle for her baby every year.
Mayo was raped in 1941. She made the decision to carry the baby to term. However, as a single woman, she did not think she could provide her child with a good home.
As reported by The Tribune, Mayo arranged the adoption with the hospital where she gave birth. Although she was not supposed to see or hold the child, a kind nurse allowed her to spend some time with the baby.
Mayo named her daughter Delphine, after a character in the film Kitty Foyle. She never forgot the baby with the “cutest, round, rosy cheeks.”
When Mayo left the hospital, she moved to London to work for the US Army in World War II.
When she returned to the states in 1945, she called the hospital to ask about the child. Mayo was told that her baby had died.
Mayo lit a candle every year for her adopted daughter. Over the next 71 years, she moved on with her life. However, Delphine was always on her mind.
Throughout the years, Mayo worked as a dancer and a showgirl. She fondly remembers dancing with Gene Kelly and getting to know Sammy Davis Jr.
Mayo eventually married and had other children.
Delphine’s adoptive parents changed her name to Patricia. She did not know she was adopted until she was 51 years old.
Patricia learned of the adoption following the deaths of her adoptive parents. When she tried to get a copy of her birth certificate, the clerk told her she was adopted.
As reported by The Republic, Patricia was angry that she had been deceived. However, she was excited to have an opportunity to meet her birth mother. Unfortunately, it took her 20 years to track her down.
Patricia finally got the name and address for her birth mother earlier this year. She contacted Mayo through the mail.
Brooke Mayo finally reunited with her adopted daughter. It took 71 years, but it was worth the wait. The mother and daughter have formed a bond that neither of them ever expected to find.
[Image via Flickr]
