Renee called me with news that made my blood run cold: my mother had given her adoption papers claiming I had agreed to give up my daughter, Mae. But I had never signed anything.<\/p>\n
My mother had apparently told Renee that I was overwhelmed and wanted the adoption handled quietly. I immediately demanded to know where Mae was. Renee pulled over near Healdsburg, and deputies arrived shortly afterward. Just 41 minutes after my mother had taken my baby, Mae was safely back in my arms.<\/p>\n
Then the truth became even more horrifying.<\/p>\n
The documents carried a forged signature that looked almost identical to mine. The notary was my own sister, Courtney. And the intended adoptive parents were Warren and Stacy Holt, the groom’s older brother and his wife, who had struggled to have a child for six years.<\/p>\n
My mother had promised them my daughter in exchange for $60,000. I had never received a cent. The money had allegedly been used to pay for Courtney’s wedding expenses.<\/p>\n
During the wedding reception, deputies arrived and arrested my mother in front of nearly 200 guests. Courtney accused me of ruining her wedding, but the truth was finally out.<\/p>\n
The adoption documents were not legally valid because California requires a birth mother’s consent in front of a state social worker. My mother was charged with child abduction and fraud, while Courtney lost her notary commission and her job. Eleven days later, Courtney’s husband filed for an annulment.<\/p>\n
The Holts never recovered their money. Stacy later wrote me an apology, admitting she should have questioned why my mother was arranging to take a baby away from her own mother.<\/p>\n
Today, Mae is two years old, happy and full of energy. I still remember those terrifying 41 minutes, and I will never forget how close I came to losing her.<\/p>\n
I learned that sharing the same blood doesn’t always mean someone has your best interests at heart. Sometimes, the people who talk most about family are the ones who can hurt it the most.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Renee called me with news that made my blood run cold: my mother had given her adoption papers claiming I had agreed to give up my daughter, Mae. But I had never signed anything. My mother had apparently told Renee that I was overwhelmed and wanted the adoption handled quietly. I immediately demanded to know…<\/p>\n