**The Long Journey of Self-Discovery: One Woman's Search for Her Birth Parents**

Tamuna Museridze’s eight-year search culminated in unexpected discoveries about her adoption journey, illuminating the broader implications of a fractured system marked by child trafficking and the complexities of family reunifications.

When Tamuna Museridze made the fateful call to the woman she believed was her biological mother, she braced for various reactions, but the vehement denial and fury she encountered left her stunned. “She started screaming, shouting - she said she hadn’t given birth to a child. She didn't want anything to do with me,” Tamuna recounted, describing her confusion and disbelief over the unexpected hostility.

Despite this initial blow, Tamuna felt compelled to continue her search, driven by the need to uncover her origins and learn about her father. The journey began in 2016 after the passing of her adoptive mother, where the discovery of an erroneous birth certificate raised suspicions of her being adopted. To facilitate her search, she initiated a Facebook group titled Vedzeb, or "I’m Searching," which ultimately revealed the dark history of child trafficking in Georgia, where many parents had been misled about their babies, thinking they had passed away.

As a journalist, Tamuna had previously documented family reunions resulting from similar scenarios, yet her own search felt deeply personal and urgent. Only recently did she receive a lead that would significantly alter her path—a message from someone in rural Georgia who mentioned a woman believed to be Tamuna’s birth mother, linking them with a name and location.

Upon confirming this relationship through social media inquiries and subsequent DNA tests, Tamuna learned she was indeed related to the woman—a cousin. With this new evidence, she could confront her mother for answers, which eventually led her to uncover the identity of her father, Gurgen Khorava.

What made it more astonishing for Tamuna was the fact that she had been unaware that Gurgen had been following her story on social media, having unknowingly accepted her friendship on Facebook three years prior. “[He] didn’t even know my birth mother had been pregnant; it was a huge surprise for him,” she noted. When they finally met, an emotional reunion unfolded, with immediate familial connections becoming evident as they engaged in conversation about their shared history.

Their meeting led to a joyful family gathering, where Tamuna embraced her newfound relatives, sharing stories over traditional Georgian cuisine and music. However, the lingering question about her adoption status remained. Was she a victim of the extensive child trafficking network in Georgia or had her mother willingly given her up?

With assistance from a Polish TV production capturing her story, Tamuna finally spoke with her birth mother, uncovering the painful truth that her mother had kept secret for decades—she had chosen to give Tamuna up for adoption and had lived in shame ever since. Despite Tamuna’s initial fears about her origins, she ultimately realized her experience differed significantly from the tragic tales of many others.

Reflecting on her journey, Tamuna expressed both sorrow and gratitude—grief for the painful revelations about her birth but also relief at finding her biological father and the community she belonged to. “Would I do it all again?” she pondered. “Of course I would, I found out so much about my new family.”

Tamuna’s story highlights the myriad complexities surrounding adoption, the search for identity, and the painful truths many individuals face when piecing together their past, while also shedding light on ongoing societal issues related to child trafficking and familial separation.