Cape Town – It was a joyous and beautiful moment when a 55-year-old Krugersdorp woman got to hold her son, 40 years after he was taken away from her.
The beautiful story of a determined mother to find her son didn’t have a rosily beginning.
It was in 1981 at the tender age of 14 when Salome Tadford reportedly gave birth to her son Brandon after being repeatedly sexually abused by her stepbrother, reports said.
She then spent years searching for her precious baby boy, reports said.
Life went on, and Tadford later got married and had three children but she could never fill the void of her lost son, Fritz Brandon Olmar.
She and her husband of 38 years left no stoned unturned, as they tried to track and trace the son. They even placed articles and adverts in the newspapers, reported IOL.
The report said that in 2019, Tadford created a Facebook page called “Son where are you? – Fritz Brandon Erasmus – Born 17 September 1981”.
She had no idea that her son’s adoptive parents had changed the name registered on her son’s birth certificate and only kept his middle name, Brandon, the report said.
“It was a closed adoption. I did not sign any documents; my adoptive mother did. It was never my intention to give him away. My wish was just to find him. Know where he was. If he didn’t contact me, it would have been okay, but the bonus was he would contact me,” the report quoted Tadford as saying.
Tadford’s lucky break came on July 5 when she received a WhatsApp message.
“Hi, I am sorry to bother so early. But your story had me in tears and I think I have information. I know a Brandon but his birthday is on the 18th of September 1981 and not the 17th. Also on his adoption forms it says Fritz Brandon Olmar Erasmus. Could it be the same person?” Krugersdorpnews quoted the text message.
When Tadford asked the sender for more information, she was sent adoption papers and the information on the papers was correct except for the date of birth being one day late, the report said.
She received a message from her son that said “hello there”.
The son later called that same day and she and her husband drove to Pretoria to meet Brandon for the first time in 40 years.
“I have my arms around my son. After over 40 years I finally get to hold my son in my arms again. Even though I have to stand on my toes to reach around his neck. He has grown up to be quite a tall man,
“That night I climb into bed. My prayers have changed. It’s no longer “keep him safe and return him to me” my prayers now are. “Thank you God for returning him to me and for keeping him safe all these years,” the report quoted Salome as saying after meeting her son.
According to the report, Brandon’s adoptive mother has since passed away but he’s been in constant contact with his newfound mom, the report said.
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Picture: Facebook/ Salome Vonita Tadford
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
