The emotional complexity of family reunions, especially in cases involving hidden pregnancies and adoption.
The impact of social media in reconnecting families and aiding in personal searches for identity.
A poignant reunion unfolded for Georgian journalist Tamuna Museridze, who after eight years of searching, discovered her biological father, Gurgen Khorava, was one of her Facebook friends. The journey began in 2016 following the death of the woman who raised her, when she found a birth certificate suggesting she might be adopted. Determined to uncover her roots, Museridze created a Facebook group called 'Vedzeb' (I am looking for) to assist not only her search but also others seeking their biological families. Her investigation revealed a baby trafficking scandal in Georgia, where many parents were misled into believing their newborns had died, only to find out they had been sold. Despite her success in reuniting other families, Museridze struggled with her own origins, questioning if she too had been a victim of this scandal. Her breakthrough came when a contact informed her about a woman who had hidden her pregnancy and given birth in Tbilisi in September 1984, aligning with Museridze's presumed birth date. After a tense initial conversation with her biological mother, who denied her existence, Museridze eventually obtained her father's name and found him on Facebook, realizing they had been friends for three years. Their emotional meeting in Zugdidi was filled with mixed feelings, as Khorava had no knowledge of her existence, having been unaware of the pregnancy. The reunion also revealed shared passions, particularly a love for dance, as Khorava was a former dancer with the Georgian State Ballet. Museridze reflected on her journey, acknowledging the pain of her mother's initial rejection and the complexities of their family history.
