A Georgian journalist, Tamuna Museridze, who spent eight years searching for her birth parents, discovered that she had been Facebook friends with her biological father for three years.
Tamuna, 40, launched a Facebook page to help reunite adopted children with their birth families and, in the process, uncovered a massive baby trafficking scandal in Georgia. For decades, parents were falsely told their newborns had died at birth while the babies were trafficked on the black market.
Despite reuniting many families through her platform, Tamuna struggled to find her birth parents. Her journey began in 2016 after her adoptive mother passed away. While clearing out her mother’s belongings, she discovered a birth certificate with her name but a different birth date, raising suspicions about her adoption.
This summer, a breakthrough came when a Facebook message led her to a woman who had concealed a pregnancy in September 1984, around the time Tamuna was born. However, when Tamuna contacted her, the woman denied having a child.
A Facebook appeal eventually connected Tamuna with a woman who agreed to take a DNA test, confirming they were cousins. This revelation proved that the woman initially denying Tamuna’s existence was her mother.
Tamuna’s biological mother reluctantly revealed her father’s name, Gurgen Korava. To her astonishment, Gurgen was already a Facebook friend who had been following her story to find her father.
The two arranged a meeting in Zugdidi, 160 miles from Tamuna’s home. Upon seeing her, Gurgen immediately recognised her as his daughter. He shared that he had a brief relationship with Tamuna’s biological mother and had been unaware of her pregnancy.
The reunion opened Tamuna’s door to an extended family, including half-siblings, aunts, and uncles. She also met her mother in a private meeting arranged by a police television company.
Tamuna’s mother revealed that, unlike the families impacted by the baby trafficking scandal, she had voluntarily hidden her pregnancy. She travelled to Tbilisi under the pretence of needing surgery, gave birth to Tamuna, and stayed in the city until arranging an adoption.
Reflecting on her adoption, Tamuna said, “It was painful to learn that I spent 10 days alone with her before the adoption. I try not to think about that.”
Her mother asked her to lie and claim they were both victims of the baby trafficking scandal, but Tamuna refused, saying it would be unfair to parents whose children were genuinely stolen. Following this, her mother asked her to leave, and they have not spoken.
Tamuna continues to embrace her newfound family while helping others through her Facebook group, ensuring that stories like hers find closure.
