Left at children’s home | Woman now searches for mother Linda James and family from St Ann
June 24, 2019A 56-year-old woman, who was left at Maxfield Park Children’s Home in Kingston when she was a baby, has been struggling to locate her biological relatives – including the mother who left her at the state-owned facility.
Iola Mahoney said she doesn’t even know the name she was given at birth. The one she now uses was given to her after she was adopted at two years old.
She further told The Beacon that, based on information received, her mother is Linda James who is originally from St Ann, but is believed to be living in Britain.
Iola’s biological father, whose surname is said to be Lugg, is from Priory district in St Ann. Iola said she already travelled to Priory, but has not been making progress because she doesn’t know her dad’s first name.
She disclosed that she purportedly was born in Britain, but is the holder of a Jamaican passport.
Iola stated that, based on further information, her mother took her and two siblings (a brother and a sister) from Britain to Jamaica, and eventually left all three of them at Maxfield Park Children’s Home.
She was adopted ahead of her siblings, and was raised by her adoptive mother in the Grant’s Pen area of St Andrew.
Iola told The Beacon that she has spent several years searching for answers regarding her true identity.
“I don’t know my real name; the Adoption Board doesn’t have it either,” she declared. “The Adoption Board is not telling me anything; all them telling me is that it is a closed case.”
Iola’s difficulties are compounded by the fact that she also does not know her real birthday.
“All the time I was using 21 of October 1962. Thirteen years ago, the adoption papers come up with 31 of October 1962,” she explained.
Iola, who currently lives in Antigua, also has a home in the Duhaney Park area of St Andrew.
She stated that it has been tough living without knowing her biological family. Her adoptive mother is deceased.
“I am not looking anything from the family; I am just trying to find them,” Iola emphatically said. “Everytime people talk about their family; I can only talk about my kids and my grand kids.”
Iola, in the meantime, said she does not intend to stop searching until she finds closure.
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