[ APPLAUSE ] >>> SO, KATHY SMITH WAS JUST 18 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE PUT HER NEWBORN DAUGHTER UP FOR ADOPTION. AND SHE HAS SPENT THE LAST FEW DECADES SEARCHING FOR HER, WITH NO LUCK. THAT IS, UNTIL HER DAUGHTER, WHO HAD NO IDEA WHO HER BIRTH MOTHER WAS USED ONE OF THOSE AT-HOME DNA TESTING KITS. IN MOMENTS, THEY'RE GOING TO MEET EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME, RIGHT HERE. FIRST, THEIR STORY. WATCH. >> I WAS 18 WHEN I HAD HER. I LOVED HER FROM THE VERY START. I WOULD ALWAYS HAVE LOVED HER. BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE HER ANYTHING ELSE BUT LOVE. AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO A BABY. A BABY NEEDS MORE THAN LOVE. >> I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT I WAS ADOPTED. THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT I HAD WAS THAT MY MOM IS A TWIN. >> I THOUGHT ABOUT HER A LOT. HER BIRTHDAY, CHRISTMAS, MOTHER'S DAY, WONDERING WHERE SHE WAS AND HOW SHE WAS DOING AND IF SHE LOOKED LIKE ME. I ALWAYS HAD THIS IF. BUT I ALWAYS KNEW I DID THE RIGHT THING. >> I HAD A GREAT CHILDHOOD, GREAT FAMILY. I HAD THE BEST FRIENDS. WE TRAVELED EVERY YEAR. WE CAMPED EVERY YEAR. SO, HAD A GOOD LIFE. >> I SEARCHED FOR HER FOR 26 YEARS. >> I JUST KIND OF WENT, I WAS ADOPTED AND I PROBABLY WASN'T WANTED AT THAT TIME. AND I THINK I JUST WENT WITH THAT. THAT'S WHAT IT WAS AND WHY WOULD SHE BE LOOKING FOR ME. >> THE ADOPTION RECORDS WERE SEALED. SO, EVERYTHING ALWAYS CAME TO A DEAD END. >> I WAS RAISED COMPLETELY ITALIAN AND POLISH. I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW, WAS I ITALIAN AND POLISH. I ASKED MY HUSBAND AND I SAID, WILL YOU GET ME A DNA TEST FOR CHRISTMAS? I SAID ON MY TEST, IT WAS A CLOSE RELATIVE, THEY SAID WE LIKELY SHARE THE SAME GRANDPARENTS. I CONNECTED TO THE ONE COUSIN. I SAID, IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU HAVE AN AUNT THAT IS A TWIN? AND HE SAID SENT ME BACK THE MESSAGE, HE SAID, I HAVE AN AUNT WHO IS A TWIN AND SHE GAVE UP A CHILD FOR ADOPTION IN THE LATE 1970s. HE'S LIKE, WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? SO THEN, I SENT HIM BACK, JUNE 12th, 1977. HE IMMEDIATELY SENDS ME BACK A MESSAGE, MY AUNT GAVE UP A BABY JUNE 12th. >> AND ROSEANNE FULLER JOINS US NOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. [ APPLAUSE ] CAN I ASK YOU, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? >> I'M NERVOUS. YEAH. >> YOU KNEW YOU WERE ADOPTED GROWING UP. >> I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS ADOPTED. >> YOUR PARENTS WERE OPEN ABOUT THAT. >> YES, THEY WERE. >> WHAT AGE WERE YOU WHEN YOU CONSIDERED FINDING YOUR BIRTH MOM? >> I THOUGHT ABOUT IT MORE AS I GOT OLDER. IN MY TEENS AND PROGRESSIVELY AS I HAD GOTTEN OLDER. MY INITIAL DESIRE TO DO THE DNA TEST WAS NOT TO FIND MY BIRTH MOTHER. >> WHEN YOU DID LOOK INTO, COULD I FIND MY BIRTH MOM? IS IT POSSIBLE? DID YOU GET ANYWHERE? >> NO. THROUGH THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES, IT WAS COMPLETELY SEALED. THERE WASN'T ANY INFORMATION TO BE HAD. >> WHEN THEY SAY SEALED, IT'S SEALED. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT IF THE BIRTH MOTHER AND BIRTH FATHER DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE IT. YOU DECIDED TO DO THE DNA TEST, AND FIGURE OUT IF YOU'RE SICILIAN. AND YOU THOUGHT THE BIG SHOCK WOULD BE, YOU'RE NOT SICILIAN. >> I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE BIG SHOCK. >> BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE ON THAT 23ANDME RESULT SHEET YOU GOT THAT SAID WHAT? >> IT LINKS YOU ALL DIFFERENT DNA RELATIVES. ON THAT, ONE OF THE DNA RELATIVES SOMEONE THEY SAID WOULD BE MY FIRST COUSIN AND THAT WE SHARE THE SAME SET OF GRANDPARENTS. >> WHEN YOU CALL THIS GUY AND YOU EXCHANGE THE INFORMATION ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE AN AUNT THAT'S A TWIN? HE SAID, YES, SHE GAVE UP A BABY. HOW LONG DID THE WHOLE THING TAKE BETWEEN LET ME SEE MY RESULTS AND OH, MY GOD, I FOUND MY BIRTH MOTHER? >> WE STARTED MESSAGING BACK AND FORTH, PROBABLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. AND BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON, MYSTERY SOLVED. WE KNEW. >> WOW. HOW DOES YOUR MOM FEEL ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. THAT'S HARD ON THE MOMS. >> I THINK IT'S HARD ON MY MOM. >> SHOULD IT BE? >> NO. MY MOM IS MY MOM. SHE WILL ALWAYS BE MY MOM. >> NO MATTER WHAT, RIGHT? WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO KNOW WHO YOUR BIRTH MOM IS? >> I WANTED TO KNOW HEALTH INFORMATION. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF, YOU SEE FAMILIES AND YOU SAY, THIS PERSON LOOKS LIKE THIS PERSON. AND I HAD NO -- THERE WAS NO BACKDROP. THERE WAS NO FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR ME. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. >> YOU FIGURE OUT WHO IT IS. AND YOU AND SHE HAVE SPOKEN ON THE PHONE. >> WE HAVE SPOKEN ON THE PHONE. WE'VE SEEN PICTURES AND WE'VE SEEN EACH OTHER, WE'RE FACEBOOK FRIENDS. >> YOU HAVEN'T MET IN PERSON YET UNTIL TODAY. WHY IS THAT? WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT? >> I THINK I'VE BEEN A LITTLE SLOW ON IT. EVERYTHING THAT KATHY HAS HOLD ME, I HAD TO PROCESS IT AND I HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT. I THINK I'VE BEEN TESTING THE WATERS AND GOING KIND OF SLOW WITH IT. >> SITTING HERE NOW, I'M DOING AN INTERVIEW. YOU'RE SITTING THERE THINKING, IN A MINUTE, I'M GOING TO MEET THE WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO ME. WHAT WILL YOU BE LOOKING FOR? IF IT'S ONE THING TO SEE PICTURES. IT'S ANOTHER TO BE STARING FACE-TO-BASE WITH THIS GENETIC LINK. >> I THINK JUST THE CONNECTION. LIKE, DO WE LOOK THE SAME? DO WE -- >> HAVE THE SAME MANNERISMS? >> YES. >> KATHY HAS TOLD US, SHE IS SO EXCITED AND NERVOUS FOR THIS, SHE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP A WINK IN DAYS. SHE'S HERE. WHEN WE COME BACK, THE MOMENT WE HAVE A [ APPLAUSE ] >>> WE'RE BACK, NOW, WITH ROSEANNE FULLER. SHE RECENTLY FOUND HER BIRTH MOTHER, WHO GAVE HER UP FOR ADOPTION 40 YEARS AGO. THAT WOMAN'S NAME IS KATHY SMITH. AND SHE'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS WALL. THE TWO HAVE SPOKEN TO EACH OTHER ON THE PHONE BUT HAVE NEVER MET IN PERSON, UNTIL NOW. ARE YOU READY? ROSEANNE AND KATHY, WHY DON'T YOU WALK FORWARD AND SAY HELLO TO EACH OTHER. [ APPLAUSE ] >> COME ON OVER. COME ON OVER. HI, MOM. HOW ARE YOU DOING? >> FINE. >> YOU CAN TAKE A SEAT RIGHT THERE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING? >> NERVOUS. >> OH. IT'S SCARY, RIGHT? >> EXCITED. >> IT'S GOT TO BE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW? >> I'M OKAY. >> I WAS SAYING DURING THE BREAK, FOR US, THIS IS GREAT TV. AND FOR YOU, THIS IS SOMETHING FAR MORE EMOTIONAL AND INVOLVED. KATHY, TAKE US BACK TO THAT -- 40 YEARS AGO, YOU WERE JUST 18 YEARS OLD. >> YEAH. >> AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GIVE ROSEANNE UP? >> I COULD ONLY GIVE HER LOVE. MY FAMILY WAS BEMIND ME. I HAVE A REALLY CLOSE FAMILY. FROM THE TIME I KNEW I WAS PREGNANT, I WANTED HER TO HAVE A FAMILY, A MOM AND A DAD, THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO LOVE HER MORE THAN I COULD LOVE HER. AND JUST AS MUCH. >> THERE WAS NO DAD IN THE PICTURE IN YOUR CASE. AND YOU DID HAVE A SECRET THAT YOU HAD TO REVEAL TO ROSEANNE WHEN YOU SPOKE ON THE PHONE ABOUT THE NIGHT SHE WAS CONCEIVED. >> YES. >> WHICH WAS WHAT? >> IT WAS A DATE RAPE. >> AND HE TOOK OFF WHEN HE REALIZED YOU WERE PREGNANT? >> YEAH. HOW IS THAT, ROSEANNE? >> THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME. YEAH. THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME. I GUESS I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BE HAVING A GOOD TIME WHEN KIDS ARE MADE. AND THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME A LOT. >> YEP. YOU MANAGED TO GET THROUGH. A LOT OF WOMEN WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENT CHOICE. YOU DECIDED TO HAVE A BABY. THERE WAS A MOMENT IN THE HOSPITAL. FIRST, YOU DIDN'T THINK YOU WANTED TO SEE HER. >> NO. >> AND YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT IN THE HOSPITAL? >> THE LAST DAY I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, I HAD TO HOLD HER. I JUST, I MEAN, I CARRIED HER FOR NINE MONTHS. THERE WAS SOMETHING, THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO HOLD HER. IT WAS FEEDING TIME. AND THEY BROUGHT HER IN AND I FED HER. IT WAS TIME TO GIVE HER BACK. AS SOON AS I GAVE HER BACK TO THE NURSE, SHE STARTED CRYING. LIKE, IT WAS A LAST GOOD-BYE. >> BUT YOU GAVE HER OVER ANYWAY. >> YEAH. >> AND I KNOW ALL THESE YEARS, YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HER. AND YOU HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE LIVING 20 MINUTES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER? >> NO. >> IT'S POSSIBLE, YOU PASSED EACH OTHER IN THE GROCERY STORE OR ON THE STREET? >> WE COULD HAVE, ABSOLUTELY. >> YOU COULD HAVE BEEN, I WAS IN FIRST IN LINE THERE. >> FIGHTING FOR A PARKING LOT SPACE. >> RIGHT? IN A WAY, IT'S FORTUITOUS THAT YOU TOOK THE TEST WHEN YOU DID. YOU, SEPARATELY, WERE GOING THROUGH A MEDICAL ISSUE THAT CAN BE GENETIC THAT YOU ULTIMATELY TOLD ROSEANNE ABOUT. WHAT IS IT? >> THE FACTOR FIVE DEFICIECY THAT CAUSES BLOOD CLOTS. >> IF YOU HAVE THIS, IT'S HELP HELPFUL TO KNOW ABOUT THIS IN ADVANCE. >> YES. I HAD A DOUBLE PULMONARY EMBOLISM. >> AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN TEST FOR? >> I HAD THE TEST. I'M WAITING TO HEAR BACK ON THE RESULTS. >> THANK GOD YOU DID IT. >> ABSOLUTELY. IT'S IMPERATIVE TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION. >> CAN I ASK YOU, AS A MOM WHO GAVE UP HER BABY FOR ADOPTION, WHAT DID YOU -- WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST WORRY OVER THE 40 YEARS? >> THAT SHE HAD A GOOD LIFE. I WANTED -- MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT SHE -- MY BIGGEST FEAR IS I WANTED HER TO HAVE A GOOD LIFE. ONE THAT I COULDN'T GIVE HER. >> ROSEANNE, HOW HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN? >> IT'S BEEN A GREAT LIFE. >> HAD A HAPPY CHILDHOOD. [ APPLAUSE ] YOU HAVE A HUSBAND. YOU'RE HAPPILY MARRIED. >> I HAVE A HUSBAND, KIDS, MY PARENTS ARE GREAT. I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS. WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOREVER. I HAVE A GREAT LIFE. >> THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US AND ALL THE BEST TO YOU WITH US AND ALL THE BEST TO YOU BOTH.
