“It has been seventeen years and I get to see who I was actually blood related to,” said Seth Brodie (‘14).
Seth and his mother went on a search to find Seth’s birth parents and to find out his original story. His parents were in the military stationed in Okinawa previously when Seth they originally adopted him when he was an infant, his mother in the Navy working as a nurse and his father working as a marine on the base. So going back to the island was not just a random act of adventure, but a return to an old, familiar home.
His journey started on the island, where his mother had met up with some of her old nursing friends and acted as their interpreters for the entire trip.
“We toured the island and went to a bunch of historical places. I mainly wanted to see where I would have been living,” said Seth.
From there, they went to the hospital where he was born. They ran into a little bit of trouble getting information from the office about his birth mother because the hospital did not want to give out information about patients. Luckily, his mother’s friends knew the doctor and he was more than willing to give them the information of his aunt and uncle.
“My mother wasn’t able to keep me because of money and medical issues, so she gave me to my aunt and uncle,” Seth said, “We have no record of my dad.”
Upon getting their phone number and address from the doctor, they called Seth’s aunt and uncle to meet with them at the Sanco, which is similar to a mall with many attached outdoor restaurants.
“I was scared and happy at the same time. I was so nervous I was practically shaking,” Seth said. Seth, along with his mother and her friends, who acted as translators, met the couple at the restaurant. His aunt just started crying and apologizing for not having enough money to keep him.
“They were great people although I couldn’t understand anything they were saying,” said Seth. The lunch was described as an almost revelation and it helped Seth really understand what could have been.
With all the closure given and the trip over, Seth shared how his parents have given him everything and that experience made him appreciate them so much more. He said, “I had an eye-opener to how I would have been living and I realize how grateful I am to be living with parents who brought me in.”