Comments about ‘Lost and found — LDS TV host turns family searches into his life's work’

I am both an adoptee and birthparent and it hurts to think that someone didn't love me enough to stick around but it hurts more when your child you gave up and didn't fight for feels that you never wanted or loved them. The lies that are woven around adoption have got to stop so has adoption. I heard about the lies that were spread about me and they are still being spread about me(I located my kids)by people who never knew me as a person. I was accused of being a drug adict and I never have been. As an adoptee I am trying to relocate my birthfather. I met him in 1976 and because of something he said I stopped the contact with him - I want to start again. I know that he has two sisters and that in the late 70s was living in New Mexico.

I don't think that birth parents give up their babies because they don't love them enough to stick around. I think they love them so much and realize that they are not in a position at that time to give the baby the kind of home each baby deserves to have. Please think of that and then maybe you won't be so hurt. Your birth mother did love you and she wanted you to have what she was not able to give.

love to hear about people having great ideas, putting their heart into it, and making it a business.
On meeting your birth parents, I think we can honor them by appreciating the live they gave us and living it to the fullest. Those who adopt should never speak ill of their child's biological parents, always with respect and love. That is the only way love can continue to flow.

I was located by my birth mother, which has been kind of a weird thing. I never thought badly of her at all. But I also never had any intention of ever finding her. My real family to me is my adopted family. Nor would I have wanted to have caused a disruption in her life. I can sympathize with people who want to find their birth families but there has to be a barrier set up so when people are found they can choose whether or not to accept contact.

Is this the same Troy Dunn who does the "Life is a Football Game" talk? That's a good, funny talk except for the parts where he screams in a high-pitched voice. Good concepts, though.

We knew the Dunn's in Fort Myers. Good job Troy!

In the year 2000 Alex worked at radio station KIQN in Salt Lake City, UT., and Troy did a show from his home in Flordia via the phone.A few times the show was done from our studios in Salt Lake. It was a real pleasure producing those shows. I think the funniest thing that happened was on one show we set Troy up telling him that we had a special guest lined up, but he'd have to wait untill the last 10 minutes of that show to find out who it was. His wife had set this thing up with me before the show. Well, when the time came, that was one of the few times that Troy was completely stopped cold in his tracks. It was his son. While Troy was on the phone from his office in Florida, his son was on the upstairs phone. We haven't been in contact with Troy for several years, and would like to re-astablish contact with him. Thanx for this oppertunity. Suzanne just found her birth brothers, but has two sisters to locate yet. Sincerely, Suzanne and Alex Vajda

I read of a person who had been put up for adoption, who went searching for their mother, and found in the newspaper where he heard she lived, a classified add, directed to him and that she wanted to meet him. He did meet her and told her how ironic it was that he happened to get that VERY paper. She told him she had run that add for YEARS! -- I agree that a mediator step would be best and save a LOT of fear or pain. Just for medical reasons, it would help to know. I also agree that birth parents are to be appreciated that they let their child LIVE, though maybe they loved them SO MUCH that they wanted a better life for them than they could provide. Hopefully a family with a mother AND father- who would work to protect and support the family. -- My son-in-law was adopted and I'm so thankful for him in my daughters life- he is a GREAT Dad!! So far he has not been interested in finding his bio family, and that is his choice- but I just pray we don't need them for medical reasons!

I searched for 37 years and found my daughter and son in law and 3 grandchildren. We currently have a great relationship though they live 1500 miles from me, which is difficult. Now to find my mother who lost me to the State of Illinois.

Just giving up your child is not the only solution even for a LDS single girl.My daughter is a good example of one who kept her boy,married his father who loves them both and doing everything she can to make the three a happy family.Its not easy for them but they have alot of support from both families.Its not always good to go against church council but in this case I'm glad they did. I think everyone who was involved is pleased.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this show. Reunions are usually heartwarming.

Now days, there are a lot of children conceived by donor insemination or donor eggs who wish to meet their biological donors. There is a donor sibling registry which matches up donor children with their half-siblings and donors, but not everyone registers.

For Katie's "mother" [quotes added deliberately in her case] to state that if she had known Katie would call, she would have "aborted it"....tells volumes about this woman's soul. I would NOT want to be in her shoes when she faces the Lord. She is vile. Best of luck to Katie.

Actually, the advice I have always heard is that marriage, when possible, is a very viable, even preferred option. Of course, when both mom and dad are say, 15 years old, it becomes less viable. But in many cases, "having to get married", as it was put a few decades back, is the best option.
The worst is almost always, for the young mother to remain single but kkep and try to raise the baby. Very few happy endings to that scenario.

I first heard of Troy Dunn through his church tape, Life Is A Football Game which was given to me as a gift. Years later, I was THRILLED to hear he was a celebrity spokesperson for nuskin, which I am deeply involved with. I heard him speak at our national convention and also in Anaheim last year. He is the most inspiring speaker I have ever heard. I cannot wait to watch his tv show!!!! Another mormon makes us proud in the media spotlight!

you are a bit confused. LDS guidance is when ever possible marry. if not adopt.

In a perfect world, there would be no adoption, as all parents who want children would be able to have them, and all babies would be born to parents who want and can take care of them. But in the world we have, adoption is a wonderful blessing. There will always be challenges to all parties involved, but if everyone would respect birth parents and view adoption as the blessing it is, without stigmatizing it, the world would be a far better place. Regarding choices for pregnant LDS single girls, it has been my observation that far more are "going against Church counsel" than are following it. The average birth mother placing her child for adoption through LDS Family Services is no longer the "Laurel who made a mistake", because the parents of those Laurels are raising their babies in as effort to "take care of our own".

I was adopted in 1945 and raised in a good home in Glendale, AZ...I had always wanted to find my bio-family. I had some information and finally in 1980 I found my Bio-Father. He led me to a Bio-Half Brother and Sister. With that I searched for my Mother who was never married to my Bio-Father. I found her in Las Vegas and with her help found out I had a full brother and sister. We all re-uninted in 1983 and it was very fine. I went in not expecting something better. I have encourged those who seek to find to do just that. But never look for a better life, rejection is tough. Just go and find and hope. thanks, tj

My mom was adopted back in the late 1930's. She does know who her birth mother was (she died in the 1980's) but never met her, she believes. BUT she has siblings that she's never met. It's always been a dream of mine to find them for her and hopefully fill in some pieces she's always missed.

A word of caution to some who judge....Certainly I don't know anything at all about the circumstances of Katie's adoption, but I think that compassion is in order. Maybe the birth mother was brutally raped by a monster or perhaps abandoned by a gigolo who abused her affections. Whatever it was, something tragic surely happened to her, as a very young girl, to have left such lasting pain and anger. When Jesus, the one who knows everything, heals her, whether here or in eternity, she will turn in love and joy to her birth daughter for acceptance. Katie, kind and loving woman that she is, will open her arms.

Lin, thank you that was my thought exactly. One can never judge even when things appear vile. That call to the mother obviously caused her great pain and a memory that she has tried to bury for many years. Such a reaction displays a lot of what is going in her life today. I pray for them both.