A woman’s reaction to finding out why she was put up for adoption has garnered lots of attention. When Alicia found out that her biological mom had told all of her family and friends that she was stillborn, she felt sorry for her. But she was also grateful.
In a video shared on TikTok, Alicia explained that her biological mom had an affair while she was married to her then-husband. When she found out she was pregnant with Alicia, she knew her husband wasn’t the father, but she didn’t tell her friends or family members that.
More from CafeMom: Heartwarming Video Shows Bride Surprise Her Dad by Wearing Late Mom’s Dress on Her Wedding Day
Her friends and family thought that she and her husband were welcoming their fourth child together.
In a TikTok video, Alicia (@aliciamaeholloway) explained that her biological mom and her biological mom’s husband were both white. Her biological mom cheated on her then-husband and had an affair with a Black man, then found out she was pregnant. Although she knew that her husband was not the father of her baby, she kept this information a secret from almost everyone in her life.
“For nine months her friends and family thought that her and her husband were going to have another baby,” Alicia explained. “So everybody was all excited for them to have their fourth child.”
When Alicia was born, her biological mom told everyone that she was stillborn.
Alicia’s biological mom ended up telling her loved ones that Alicia was stillborn. Her friends and family even sent balloons and flowers to her as she grieved the loss of her baby. But the baby had been born alive and given up for adoption.
“The reason that she told them that I was a stillborn is because she didn’t want to tell them the truth that she had cheated on her husband and at that time, she thought that that was the best thing to do,” Alicia explained on TikTok.
More from CafeMom: NICU Nurse Surprises Mom With Intricate ‘Eras Tour’ Halloween Costume for 2-Month-Old Swiftie
Alicia eventually met her biological mom and learned why she decided to put her up for adoption.
As a child, Alicia didn’t know about any of this. She learned about why her biological mom decided to put her up for adoption when she met her for the first time, just before she turned 18. At the time, her biological mom explained to her that she wouldn’t have been accepted by her family because she was a product of infidelity and because she was Black. Additionally, she and her then-husband couldn’t really afford to raise a fourth child.
“They had three white kids and when she told her husband that she cheated on him with a Black guy, and he figured out that she was pregnant with someone else’s baby, he wasn’t necessarily too keen on raising that baby, aka me, which honestly, I can’t even blame him,” Alicia said.
When Alicia found out why her biological mom put her up for adoption, she was thankful.
While Alicia admits that it’s “messed up” that her biological mom told people that she had died, she also empathizes with her. “She thought that that was the best thing to do,” Alicia explained. “Honestly, as humans, I feel like that’s all we’re ever trying to do is the best that we can.”
Alicia was raised by wonderful adoptive parents — so she’s thankful that her biological mom gave her up for adoption. Describing how she reacted to her bio mom’s story about her decision, Alicia said, “Thank you for making the incredibly hard decision to give me up for adoption because you gave me to the two greatest people to ever walk the planet that I literally happen to look identical to.”
“I said I have the world’s best family, best friends and the incredible gift of dance,” she added. Alicia is a professional ballerina, and acknowledged that she probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to dance if she had been raised by her biological mom.
She also felt sorry for her biological mom.
When Alicia heard her biological mom’s story, she initially felt sorry for her. “Honestly, my initial reaction was that I felt sorry for her because she’s the one who has to carry this lie throughout her life,” she explained. “It still breaks my heart for her because still to this day her friends and family don’t know that I exist.”
People reacted to Alicia's story.
On TikTok, people praised Alicia’s kind attitude along with the empathy she had for her biological mom.
“This shows your big heart, the compassion you have for her speaks volumes on how well your parents raised you,” one person commented.
“Your story inspires me to adopt ❤️,” another person wrote.
Another TikTok user added that “adoption saves lives ❤️.”
