Adopted Woman Learns Shocking Reason She Was 'Separated' From Her Birth Parents

Everyone has gone through a time when they felt they didn't belong, but Denise McCarty grew up knowing that her own parents didn't want her. For the 44-year-old, that was a pain that wouldn't fade easily. Although her adoptive parents loved her, her past often felt too hard to bear. Unable to shoulder that doubt any longer, in 2020 Denise decided to find out the truth as to why she was abandoned as a baby — she just hoped it wouldn't break her.

Abandonment

She was told her family left her behind at a hospital in South Korea because she was too sick to care for, but Denise let go of what could have been. That frustration and pain, coupled with the fact that she felt alone in her Vermont, convinced her that she needed to find her own way.

Fitting In

Her adoptive parents were white, and they lived in an area where there were no other Asian people. It didn't necessarily mean that Denise was unloved or always treated differently, but it was an everyday challenge to fit in. As she grew into adulthood, she realized that following her heart and discovering her native roots was something she had to do.

Traveling Home

It was around the time she turned 40, in 2016, that Denise first traveled to South Korea, where she was born. She didn't know what she would find there, but she hoped it would come with closure. It turned out to be more eventful than she could have hoped.

Finding A Way

While in South Korea, Denise came across a government program that helped South Korean adoptees find their biological parents. All she had to do was send in a piece of her DNA, and hopefully, there would be a match. She wound up waiting for four years but found that the wait was worth it in the end.