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New family is great gift

24/12/2002

IT'S the best Christmas present Linda Harrison could ever have - and she wants the whole world to know about it.

Six months ago she thought she was alone in the world. Now she has a whole tribe of half-sisters.

And on Saturday she will get to meet one of them for the first time.

Nerves might be the order of the day, but she can't wait to forge those vital family ties.

The 50-year-old, a clerical officer at Eccles Health Centre, said: "The last six months have been unbelievable.

"Finding a family when I thought I was on my own is incredible. It really is the best Christmas present I could ever have!"

Linda decided to speak out about her life-changing news to praise the work of the After Adoption Service.

Although adopted at just six weeks old, she did not find out until her mum told her at the age of 12.

She never tried to find her natural family while her adopted parents, Arthur and Elsie Harrison, of Winton, were alive, because she didn't want to hurt them.

"I had always regarded them as my parents and would not wanted any others,"she explained.

This year, some time after both had passed away, she set about trying to find her natural family. She heard about After Adoption from a friend.

It was a search that had its bittersweet moments. She discovered that her natural mother had passed away, but that she had three half-sisters.

Then, in a shock revelation, she discovered she also had a full sister born to her natural parents a year after she was given away.

This sister was also given away for adoption and, shortly afterwards, her mum married the man with whom she had three other daughters.

"That was a shock and brought up all sorts of questions, such as why my mother could give two children away for adoption and then marry and have more children," she said.

All through her searches, Linda was counselled and comforted and generally given support by staff from After Adoption.

She concluded: "They were amazingly considerate, utterly professional and I can't praise them highly enough.

"I gave them a donation when the investigation was over for all that they have brought to me. I would recommend them to anyone who wants to find their own natural parents."