It is believed that every family has a secret, and in some cases, their children are also aware of it.
But what would you do if the secret you uncovered will change your view of your entire history? What if the buried secret would turn everything you thought about your identity upside down?
Monica Libao was raised with two older sisters in a retired military family with only a few friends. For about 15 years, she and her parents, Burma and Pablo Libao, had to move from one location to another 28 times.
As Monica grew older, she started questioning her parents why they had to roam around. For some reasons, Monica was never able to attend her school’s picture day. She was frustrated by her family’s nomadic lifestyle that she began to suspect that they were not her real parents.
When Monica turned 16, her suspicions were confirmed. Burma got sick, and Monica had to bring her mom’s medical records to the hospital.
As she was reading the files, Monica found out that Burma had a hysterectomy 15 years before she was born. That’s when she discovered that Burma wasn’t her mother.
Monica talked to Burma about the evidence she just found. An agitated Burma explained that her older half-sister was her birth mother.
When Monica came to ask her half-sister if she was her real mother, she answered no and that Burma refused to tell the truth. She also told Monica that her biological mother sold her to their family for a bus ticket to New York.
With two different stories about her origins, she did not know which one to believe. She checked her birth certificate only to encounter even more problems. According to the document, she was born in Chicago in the 60s. However, there were no doctor, hospital, or address included.
Monica believed that the birth certificate wasn’t filed upon her birth. It was dated when she was age 7. In 1990 when she was 26, she contacted Illinois Judge Jean Scott to help her track down adoption information. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find any details.
Without any clues to continue, Monica simply went on with her life and started a family. After several years, she tried to ask Burma again for the truth.
However, Burma didn’t say a word. Still unable to acquire answers, their heated confrontation dislodged a memory from her teenage years. She remembered hearing Pablo talking about storing a cardboard box in a bar and having to tell the truth.
Based on very little information, Monica believes that she was kidnapped when she was still an infant by Burma and Pablo. Sadly, the couple brought the secrets with them to their graves.
Monica had her DNA tested to see if any of her “family” is a match. It was confirmed that she was not related to the Libao family. Then, she submitted her DNA results to the CODIS national database for missing persons. Her DNA was compared to multiple abduction cases, but there were no positive results.
Without knowing the truth, she only believes that she may have been taken from Floria in 1960s. Monica remains hopeful that she will soon uncover answers, but she is also concerned that her birth parents would be aging.
With the power of social media, looking for long-lost relatives can be a possible task. Please SHARE this post with your family and friends on Facebook to help Monica reunite with her lost family over 40 years ago.