Very few things have made me as happy as holding my children for the first time ever right after they were born. If you haven't gone through this, it's hard to explain what it feels like. Suffice it to say that it's as close to ecstasy as you'll ever get. For those of you who've gone through it, there's no need for me to explain any further. Imagine then, going through labor and delivery–not to mention 40 weeks of pregnancy–and never even seeing your newborn baby!
Well, that's exactly what happened to generations of young, unwed women from Australia to Spain, Ireland to America whose children were practically abducted and given up for adoption usually against their will. While in many cases their parents forged consent forms, the majority was duped by the very people they trusted the most, including priests, nuns, social workers, nurses or doctors.
Read more in ¿Qué más?: 'Open' adoption of infants has become the norm
But how was this even possible? The methods used are as deplorable as the action itself. Many young women were drugged and forced to sign documents that essentially said they relinquished custody. Others were told by doctors and nurses that they were unfit to be mothers. And then there were those who were told their babies had died. Can you imagine?
Although I'm not surprised, the saddest thing for me was finding out that many of these cases of forced adoptions have been associated with Catholic institutions. In Australia, Catholic Health Services issued an apology and are putting in place some grievance procedures. But, for what? Too little too late, don't you think? The harm has already been done and no amount of apologies will change the lives of all those affected, including the young women who were basically punished for being unwed and pregnant and their offspring who were negated their right to be with their mothers.
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To hear some of these women describe what was done to them is heartbreaking, to say the least. You can find out more about this disturbing topic in an investigation by Dan Rather that will air on HDNet on May 1.
Had you ever heard of forced adoptions like these?
Image via Dog Company/flickr
