Adopted woman, 57, breaks down in tears as she’s told on Long Lost Family that her late birth mother was jailed for fraud in South Africa amid a ‘bad, violent marriage’
- WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
- READ MORE: Man left in a bin when he was 2 weeks old meets half-brother who he unknowingly went to school with on Long Lost Family
A woman who was adopted as a baby has broken down in tears on Long Lost Family after discovering ‘tough’ details about her later birth mother.
Sara Hathaway, 57, who was born in Wales, had a ‘lovely, outdoor childhood’ with her two siblings, who were also adopted.
Their parents made them feel special because ‘they were chosen’ and the whole family remained close – but in 2007, tragically, Sara’s mother and big brother both passed away.
Wanting to find out more about where she came from, Sara asked ITV’s Long Lost Family for help, and on tonight’s programme, she discovers more about her late birth mother, Sallie.
She is told by co-presenter Davina McCall how her biological parent suffered a ‘bad marriage’ with a ‘violent’ husband and was jailed for fraud. Sara soon becomes emotional after hearing about the ‘poor woman’s’ ‘tough’ life.
Sara Hathaway, 57, who was adopted as a baby, broke down in tears on Long Lost Family (pictured) after discovering ‘tough’ details about her later birth mother
Upon meeting Sara, Davina asks how she’s coping with the news of her birth mother’s passing.
‘Nothing prepares you for the news. She was a stranger but she was still absolutely fundamental to who I am,’ said the mother-of-two.
The presenter then reveals more details about the parent, who they first believed was also called Sarah: ‘So the reason why she was hard to find was because she went by the name Sallie.
‘She was in South Africa and she had a bad marriage, he was violent. And so she had a tough time with him, so they had no money and she did spend a stint of time in prison for fraud.’
Becoming emotional, Sara says: ‘That’s tough. That poor woman.’
Sara sadly lost her adopted mother and brother in 2007, explaining on the programme: ‘My family had changed forever, and that’s when I thought: I need to find out about my birth mother and who I am and where I come from.’
Applying for her adoption papers, Sara discovered her mother’s name – Sarah – and that she had a traumatic life around the time Sara was born. The documents also revealed that after giving up her daughter, she moved to South Africa in 1966.
Long Lost Family could find no trace of her mother Sarah in South Africa. The breakthrough was the discovery that Sarah’s real name was in fact Sallie, and she’d reverted to this when she moved abroad.
Sara (pictured left) was adopted and had a ‘lovely, outdoor childhood’ with her two siblings, who were also adopted
Sara (pictured) is told by co-presenter Davina McCall how her biological parent suffered a ‘bad marriage’ with a ‘violent’ husband and was jailed for fraud. Sara soon becomes emotional after hearing about the ‘poor woman’s’ ‘tough’ life
Sara’s parents made her and her siblings feel special because ‘they were chosen’ and the whole family remained close – but in 2007, tragically, Sara’s mother and big brother both passed away. Pictured, Sara as a baby, left, and as a youngster, right
The team found Sallie’s half-sister, who told them that sadly, Sallie had died in 2014. She also revealed that Sallie had four other children.
A son, Steve, was born in Cardiff a year before Sara. Sallie placed him in care. Then Sallie had a daughter, Kerry, in South Africa, who she also gave up. Sallie then had Jacqui, and another child – both born in South Africa.
Nicky meets up with Steve and Kerry, who now lives in the UK. They met as adults, introduced by their grandmother, and are very close.
They paint a complex picture of their mother. Steve was in a Barnardo’s home, then fostered, then joined the Army.
Kerry believes she was born of an affair her mother had. When, in her 20s, she tracked down her mother, Sallie showed little interest in getting to know her children. Kerry says it ‘broke my heart’.
Sara (centre) with her half-sister Kerry Sanderson (left) and her half-brother Steve Williams
Long Lost Family could find no trace of her mother Sarah in South Africa. The breakthrough was the discovery that Sarah’s real name was in fact Sallie (pictured), and she’d reverted to this when she moved abroad
Jacqui, who also knows Steve and Kerry, joins the conversation via video call from South Africa. Jacqui explains that her father was abusive, and that Sallie was often absent, and spent stints in prison for fraud.
‘She went to the grave with all her secrets.’ The siblings are delighted to be found and can’t wait to welcome Sara into the family.
After hearing the sad news of her mother’s death off camera, Sara learns about her mother and her siblings from Davina. Sara’s shocked but acknowledges ‘my mum was a complex person.’ She’s delighted to know of her siblings and when they finally meet, tells them: ‘Do you know, that’s all I’ve wanted is a big family, and mine got smaller and smaller.’
Kerry replies: ‘Well, you’ve got a humungous family now.’ A family camping trip is now in the works.
Source: Read Full Article
