Woman finds her mother

The life of Theresa Viljoen (47) has changed in the past weeks after she and her biological mother, also named Theresa, “discovered” each other.

Theresa, her husband Hannes and one of their two sons will go to East London on April 5 to meet her biological mother and her biological mother’s family who Theresa has never met.

Theresa grew up in Strubenvale after she was adopted by Reginald and Steph Shelley when she was only a few days old.

Her biological mother (67) was only 20 when she decided to give Theresa up for adoption shortly after giving birth to her.

Theresa says she has been searching for her biological mother her whole life, but did not want to hurt her adoptive parents and siblings.

Finding her biological mother brought her peace and a smile.

She made enquiries about her biological mother after the death of her adoptive mother four years ago and was surprised that it was eventually her biological mother and one of her half brothers by her biological mother who contacted her through her brother Ivan (her adoptive parents’ son).

Her family has doubled since they made contact.

Through her adoptive family she has an elder brother, Ivan and younger sister Michelle with whom she grew up in Springs.

She also has two brothers by her biological mother – Cyril who is living with him mother in East London and Ryan, who lives in Australia.

She says she and her new-found mother are Whatsapp-ing each other every day and talk up to an hour each night over the phone.

Theresa says she cannot wait to see the woman who gave birth to her face-to-face.

At this stage all she has is a photograph, which she cherishes like a piece of gold.