The following excerpt is from an interesting article by Suzette Parmley, posted at the February 23, 2014 edition of philly.com:
Not knowing the identity of her real mother was always a painful, unresolved issue, but when Susan Perry was diagnosed with melanoma, finding out became a medical necessity.
Perry, 63, of Cherry Hill, began looking 13 years ago but sealed-record laws in New Jersey prevented access to her original birth certificate, the gateway to a person’s genealogical, medical, and other information.
“I realized adopted people really have no rights,” said Perry, now battling stage-four melanoma. “With many people, there is a real wish to know something about your genealogy and to know your roots. It’s really the first chapter of your life.”
Perry has worked with the New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education (NJ CARE) over the last decade for passage of the adoptees’ birthright bill. The measure would allow adopted adults over 18 in New Jersey to secure their original birth certificates from the state registrar.
Seven other states have passed access legislation for adopted adults since 1999. Two – Kansas and Alaska – have never sealed adoption records.
