Man finds family on Facebook

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-05 14:27

A man who was given up for adoption as a newborn baby has found his long-lost family after 33 years through Facebook.

Richard Marks, 33, has been reunited with his birth mum Carol Horridge who gave him away at just three-days-old so he could have a better life.

He grew up with his adopted parents living just two miles from his biological family without realising and when he was 18 decided to search for his birth mum.

Mr Marks contacted Bury Social Services and discovered his sister Andrea Roczniak had dropped off two letters in the hope he would get in touch but had since moved away.

A subsequent 15 year search proved fruitless until he decided to try Facebook this month.

He sent messages to dozens of Roczniaks in the local area before Andrea replied saying "I think you're my brother."

"I couldn't believe it when I realised I had found them," he said,

"I called Andrea and she started telling me how she had been looking for me for 12 years and how I had a massive family waiting to meet me. After all these years it felt completely natural to speak to her.

"After that I called my mum. I could hear a faint voice blubbering so I said 'hello mum' and that was it we were talking and crying for the next two and a half hours.

"Since then we have talked lots and I have been re-listening to a message over and over again just to hear her voice."

Mr Marks will travel to Manchester on Monday to meet Carol, 52, Andrea, 35, and his older brother Mark, 37.

"Facebook has changed my life - if it wasn't for that then all this wouldn't have happened," said Mr Marks.

"I always knew I was adopted and I had real issues with feeling rejected and not knowing where I belong.

"I felt depressed when I was growing up - it was like a massive void that was never filled."