Larry Dell is an artist in New Jersey, he is also an adoptee, but he was not aware of this until turning 59.
This article in the South Orange Patch website is about Dell using this discovery as inspiration for his latest art work.
In the article Dell said that his mother went as far as to re-create his birth story saying that his mother told him “the summer I was born, 1948, was one of the hottest on record, and August the hottest month. August 18, the day I was born, was worst of the worst, a real scorcher, the temperature approaching 100 degrees.”
Dell said he always felt a strong connection with his mother about this story and how uncomfortably hot it was the day he was born, but at age 59, he found out the story wasn’t true, and that in fact he was adopted according to the article.
While Dell wishes he had been told of his adoption earlier in life, and is still searching for his birth relatives, he added in the story that he still looks at his adoptive family as his family.
“My parents – we were so close it’s hard for me to call them adoptive parents – were so wonderful, loving, supportive and kind. I never felt anything from them but unqualified love. But in the end my mother (my father died when I was 18) at some point after I was an adult, should have told me I was adopted,” Dell said in the article.
Dell only has non-identifying information on his birth parents, but he knows that they were both 39 years old when he was born, and that he has at least four brothers or sisters that he has never met. He is now advocating for the opening of adoption records in New York and New Jersey according to the article.
How did you/will you begin to speak to your children about adoption?
If you have questions about how to speak with your children about adoption, or any other questions, Adoption STAR offers many educational classes, or you can contact your Adoption STAR Family Advocate.