Friday October 15, 2004

Aussie seeking natural mum

PETALING JAYA: After being adopted by an Australian family 27 years ago, Penang-born Catherine Kearney is now searching for her natural mother and siblings.

The 29-year-old, whose real name is Catherine Chin, was born to Chin Chin Kee and Chet Lin Thai at Hospital Bersalin Pulau Pinang in Jalan Residency, Penang, on May 5, 1975.

In the same year, she was adopted by Dennis Morris Kearney and Patricia Mary Anne through the court in Penang. Three years later, they moved back to Australia.

“When I was young, my adopted parents told me that I was born in Penang and was later adopted by them,” Kearney said in an interview during her first-ever visit to Malaysia to search for her roots recently.

HELP SOUGHT: Kearney showing her birth certificate, which her adopted parents have kept well. She is longing to meet her real mother and siblings.

“I did not think much about it (finding her real parents) until I was in my early 20s. I only started searching two years ago,” she said.

The search began with the information on Kearney’s birth parents and their address in her birth certificate that Dennis and Patricia had kept.

A Malaysian friend, Debbie Low, is now helping Kearney and has found that her birth father has died and that her birth mother is now staying in Taipan, USJ, Subang Jaya, but has no other details.

Kearney said she would like to meet her mother and siblings.

“I only have my own pictures when I was a baby in Malaysia. I have the passport that I used to go to Australia and that is all I have.

“I would like to find out my family history and where they lived and see how they look like. I did a course on tour guiding and learned about other cultures. I want to find out more about mine, my identity and who I was for peace of mind,” she said.

During the visit to Penang, Kearney and her boyfriend Quinton Robinson returned to the hospital where she was born, the old address where her birth parents used to live at No. 356 Perak Road and the house where her adopted parents used to live in.

They also distributed notices to residents who live around Perak Road, pleading for their help in her search for her mother Chet Lin Thai.

“We arrived in Penang on Oct 2 and went to the house in Perak Road. It looks like there is a new development now,” she said.

“It is nice to see how the hospital and Penang looks like. Now I can visualise Penang for real.”

Those who have information on Chin Chin Kee and Chet Lin Thai can e-mail Kearney at decorativecake@iprimus.com.au or Catherine.Kearney@dvc.vic.gov.au or call her at 61416002941.

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