According to the adoption statistics, black, mixed-race and other ethnic minority children are historically the hardest to place. But what if you were from a mixed heritage background, adopted, AND as toddlers placed in different homes from your siblings? We’ll be talking about the challenges and trauma these two sisters faced, how they found each other on facebook and learning to rebuild their family.
Listen and read their bio's below
Lateshia Howell
Lauryn Pierro
My name is Lauryn Pierro and I’m 22 years old. I’m a third year student journalist at London South Bank University and will be applying for my masters in investigative journalism next year. I enjoy writing and documentary making- the presenting aspect specifically.
I was put into foster care straight from birth alongside my older and younger half siblings. My older brother was first to be adopted and shortly after me and Lia joined when I was 2 years old. It was tough for me and Lia to get adopted as we are both mixed race and my adoptive parents are white and the courts put a strong fight against the adoption due to race issues at the time.
Lateshia was not adopted and grew up with my birth dads side of the family, bouncing from house to house. We knew each other existed but the main hurdle of finding her was not knowing how ‘Lateshia’ was spelled. I tried a few times and messaging a few Lateshia’s on Facebook who I thought could be the match, but failed every time.
In the summer of 2016 I was at the beach and received a message from Lateshia saying something along the lines of “hello.. I think I’m your sister.” And I fell to the ground and couldn’t believe what I was seeing! We Skyped a few times and due to u fortunate events me and my half brothers and sisters found ourselves in Brighton attending a funeral and organised to meet up with Lateshia a few days after.
That day was an incredible and rare feeling that I experienced. A warm tingling in my bones with butterflies running through my stomach.
I moved back to London from Canada for uni and since then me and Lateshia have started building a relationship. Although we look like twins, we are very different people which has really tested both of us at times! Finding each other has made that little piece of me feel complete and I won’t have to live the rest of my life thinking “what if?”
Sister's Reunited
