By Molly Taylor
A FOLDER of paperwork was all Mount Gambier resident Keisha Seiler had to help start her international search for her birth family.
It took five years of tedious searching through newspaper classifieds, web pages and social media before Ms Seiler finally had a breakthrough and was reconnected with her Filipino blood relatives.
The 28 year old, whose birth name is Lovelle Perez, was adopted by parents Maria and Keith and sibling Jamal when she was 11 months old and has lived in the Blue Lake city since.
When hope was almost lost in her search for relatives, Ms Seiler said it was a simple Facebook post which triggered a reunion with her birth mother Vilma, brother Joven and sisters Jovelyn and Anabelle.
Since making the discovery, Ms Seiler said the last month had been an overwhelming emotional rollercoaster for her and it was all still surreal.
“It was very overwhelming and you sort of have to tell yourself at the start, ‘if I don’t find anything, it’s ok’,” she said.
“It went from nothing and five years of trying, to it all happening in hours.
“The only information I had was my birth certificate with my mum’s name and a paragraph about her. Not much, when you’re trying to find someone on the other side of the world.”
Ms Seiler said she was yet to learn more about her birth family as there was a significant language barrier.
“It’s hard because you can not say or explore as much as you want,” she said.
“It is still very overwhelming because there’s still the disassociation with them being on the other side of the world and with COVID-19, it is hard to travel.
“I think until I can go and visit and see what they’re like it will still not feel like it’s real.”
Ms Seiler’s adopted mother Maria said it was a privilege to become part of her adopted daughter’s life and raise her in Mount Gambier.
“It is also a privilege for Keisha to meet her mother and let her know she did not do anything wrong by putting her up for adoption,” Maria said.
“Now that she is old enough, she can visit, talk and make her mother feel as though she did the right thing.
“She gave Keisha the best life she could.”
Ms Seiler said the whole process had been daunting, but persistence was key.
“Everyday is a race against the clock because in reality as I get older, Vilma is ageing as well,” she said.
“I searched cemeteries and funeral listings just as much as I searched for someone still alive.
“My search was more about closure than about an opportunity to reconnect.”
After her experiences, Ms Seiler said she would encourage anyone in a similar situation to “go for it” and thanked her parents for their support.
“Have a serious sit down with yourself and be honest and realistic about what you want and your expectations,” she said.
“For me, the next challenge is learning how to nurture a long distance relationship with my new family, making up for lost time and showing my mum that her sacrifices weren’t in vain or taken for granted.”
