Tamuna Museridze never anticipated that her eight-year search for her birth parents would culminate in a shocking revelation: her father was already a friend on Facebook. Driven by a deep yearning to know her origins, Tamuna began her quest in 2016 after discovering clues that suggested she might have been adopted. The death of her adoptive mother led to the unearthing of a birth certificate with an incorrect date, prompting the realization that her past may hold secrets.
Initially, her courageous phone call to the woman she believed to be her birth mother met with hostility. “She screamed and shouted that she hadn’t given birth to a child,” Tamuna recounted, stunned by the reaction. However, she was undeterred and was determined to uncover the truth regarding her adoption and to learn about her biological father.
Tamuna's exploration soon revealed a widespread baby trafficking scandal in Georgia, where numerous children had been sold after their parents were falsely told they had died. As a journalist, she had helped reunite many families but was perplexed by her unresolved mystery. Her breakthrough came when a message in her Facebook group hinted at a woman who had concealed a pregnancy that corresponded with the time of her birth. A subsequent DNA test confirmed her connection to the woman, leading her to learn her father's name: Gurgen Khorava.
In an unexpected twist, Tamuna discovered that Gurgen had been following her search online and had unwittingly been among her Facebook friends for three years. Their eventual face-to-face meeting was a tentative yet emotional reunion in Zugdidi, where they discovered many shared interests, including a love of dance.
While she formed bonds with Gurgen and his family, the lingering question of whether she had been stolen at birth haunted her until a documentary crew finally provided an opportunity to confront her biological mother. It turned out that, unlike many other victims of the trafficking scandal, Tamuna learned that her mother had not been forced to give her up but had made a painful decision to hide her pregnancy and put her up for adoption.
This revelation left Tamuna with mixed emotions, particularly after learning that she had spent ten days with her mother before her adoption while still feeling there's a tension between them. Despite the complexities of her past, Tamuna expresses gratitude for the new relationships she has forged with her biological family, reaffirming her belief that the journey, though painful, was necessary to understand her identity.
Initially, her courageous phone call to the woman she believed to be her birth mother met with hostility. “She screamed and shouted that she hadn’t given birth to a child,” Tamuna recounted, stunned by the reaction. However, she was undeterred and was determined to uncover the truth regarding her adoption and to learn about her biological father.
Tamuna's exploration soon revealed a widespread baby trafficking scandal in Georgia, where numerous children had been sold after their parents were falsely told they had died. As a journalist, she had helped reunite many families but was perplexed by her unresolved mystery. Her breakthrough came when a message in her Facebook group hinted at a woman who had concealed a pregnancy that corresponded with the time of her birth. A subsequent DNA test confirmed her connection to the woman, leading her to learn her father's name: Gurgen Khorava.
In an unexpected twist, Tamuna discovered that Gurgen had been following her search online and had unwittingly been among her Facebook friends for three years. Their eventual face-to-face meeting was a tentative yet emotional reunion in Zugdidi, where they discovered many shared interests, including a love of dance.
While she formed bonds with Gurgen and his family, the lingering question of whether she had been stolen at birth haunted her until a documentary crew finally provided an opportunity to confront her biological mother. It turned out that, unlike many other victims of the trafficking scandal, Tamuna learned that her mother had not been forced to give her up but had made a painful decision to hide her pregnancy and put her up for adoption.
This revelation left Tamuna with mixed emotions, particularly after learning that she had spent ten days with her mother before her adoption while still feeling there's a tension between them. Despite the complexities of her past, Tamuna expresses gratitude for the new relationships she has forged with her biological family, reaffirming her belief that the journey, though painful, was necessary to understand her identity.
