Birth Certificate - New York, New York

Back in November a few weeks after I had a horrific car wreck, my birth daughter, age ten, who I see a few times a year, requested to see my house for the first time.

She had seen the outside of my former apartment when she was a year old but, of course was too young to remember that.

But I had moved since then and through the years I had told her about all the pictures that lined my walls in my home that I had moved into in 2004.

I had had no time to clean or prepare and though I had imagined this day in my mind a million times before I had also imagined a spotless house where everything would be perfect and in its place and I wouldn't be sick on top of being an anxious mess, recovering from a car accident.

Well, as you know, things never go as planned.

I wondered, later, would she remember the dust or all the photographs of herself and of the two of us from our various visits through the years smiling back at her?

Since last year there has been much controversy regarding adult adoptee access to their original birth certificates. It was the top featured piece on the Huffington Post Living Front Page recently and renowned adoption expert and adoptive father Adam Pertman, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute recently published a commentary about this issue at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-pertman/post_1565_b_807939.html.

Now, an exciting event is being presented from this issue called "Birth Certificate" on March 10 at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square (1501 Broadway, New York, New York).

The theme is "Learning the Right Lessons from Adoption: What the Oprah Winfrey Reunion Story Teaches Us" regarding the recent broadcast of Winfrey's revelation that she discovered she had a half-sister, Patricia who her mother placed for adoption when Winfrey was a child.

Presented by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, the March event will feature rap super star Darryl (DMC) McDaniels along with prominent activists, scholars, legislators, and special guests for an eclectic morning from nine a.m. to noon of education, entertainment, and a discussion of access to original birth certificates, equal rights, and what Winfrey's story teaches us about adoption.

The program will include the world premiere of the music video "I'm Legit" by McDaniels and Zara Phillips, a panel featuring Pertman, McDaniels, and other guests, a raffle and signings of just published books by Phillips (Mother Me), and Pertman (Adoption Nation), video of "The DNA Song" by comedian and best-selling author (The English American) Allison Larkin, dramatic new footage from filmmaker Jean Strauss, and updates and advocacy materials for legislators, activists, and researchers.

Light refreshments will also be served.

To RSVP, send an email to MLeonard@AdoptionInstitute.org or for more information, go to adoptioninstitute.org.

For questions, write to info@adoptioninstitute.org or call 617-332-8944.