The following is our first client letter, received April 2, 1996, reprinted by kind permission of Anna Maria DiCocco Polumbo.

To whom it may concern:

My name is Anna Maria DiCocco Polumbo. At six years old I remember a woman bringing me to an orphanage in Italy. She told me that she would come back for me but she never did. The reason that she brought me there was that the couple I lived with was always fighting. Some time later the nuns at the orphanage told me that I was going to have a new family in America. I asked the nuns to take me back to my mother but they told me she has died. I never believed them in my heart.

In 1961 I had been adopted by a woman who never told her husband until I got to America. When he found out about me he forced her to give me to people who were too old to take care of a young child.

When I became old enough I started searching for the family that I could remember and that everyone denied the existence of. Any documents that I could find always came to a dead end. Even my original papers in Italy were changed. I have found out, however that the lawyers who arranged my adoption were indicted for arranging illegal adoptions from Italy.

It has been a long hard road for me because I have always felt that a part of me has been missing. And I couldn't stop thinking about my family in Italy. Whenever I met someone from Italy I would tell them my story hoping someone would be able to help.

One day my son Christopher met a woman and told her my story. At this time we had been looking for a place to move and without knowing we moved right next door to the same lady. When I told her that I was the woman Christopher was talking about, she promised to help me. She asked me for all my papers and sent them to her nephew in Italy. He soon found out what we already knew, the papers were useless. the nephew then sent the papers to a friend of his who is a lawyer.

I explained to them that I appreciate their help but I cannot afford a lawyer. The nephew said "We will worry about that after we find your family". When the lawyer had no luck he hired an investigator who went to the town that I remember being from.

Eight months later the nephew calls and tells me he found my family. All my life I wanted a family and now I have two brothers and two sisters and ten nieces and nephews!Finally we get to the reason for this letter. The air fare is $1,000 per person and I don't have any of this money.

Although I have spoken to them on the phone I want to see them, I don't speak Italian at all but my husband speaks it a little. the only one who knew of me was an Aunt who is 71. I have so many questions that only she could answer and she won't tell anyone else. If there is anyway that you could help me to see them I would be forever grateful.

Chosen Children's Charities was able to assist Anna Maria. She was finally able to fly directly to Naples, Italy and spend two unforgettable weeks with her long lost family. The following is Anna Maria's account of that dramatic and healing reunion.

Dear Paytra and Mary Lou:

I want to thank you for making my dream come true. I will never forget it.

When I arrived in Naples and saw my family waiting for me, all I could do is put my arms around them, and to hold on to this moment for as long as I could, I was so happy. For the first time in my life there were no tears. I was so overjoyed of all them being there, that I felt fulfilled for the first time. I was complete.

I didn't want to let them go, I'm sure they felt the same way because they held on too.

The two weeks I spent with them will be in my mind and heart forever.

I felt so much love and need to have me there by all of them. It was like having my parents there because they said I look like both of them. They couldn't keep their eyes off me. I couldn't stop looking at all of themm they all had a little bit of me in them. I always thought of the two of you and what a great thing you did for me.

Gratefully yours,
Anna Maria