When TikToker Tracey (@trarenhug) was 18 months old, she was adopted from foster care. Her adoptive mother passed away when she was 10.
None of her family wanted to take Tracey or the rest of her adoptive siblings in. However, they were willing to take in Tracey’s youngest sister because she was her mother’s biological daughter.
“For the rest of us, they just kept saying that we should go back to our family, despite the fact that these people are the only family we’d ever known,” said Tracey.
“And so, these people who had celebrated birthdays and holidays, and who I had called aunt, uncle, grandma, more, all decided that I was not really, in that moment, their real family.”
Her aunt, who was her mother’s sister, took Tracey and her other adoptive siblings in because that’s what Tracey’s mother would have wanted.
But she was horribly abusive and often reminded the kids that they were not hers. She was only taking care of them because she felt obligated to.
Within a year and a half, she had already sent Tracey’s brother back into foster care and her little sister to her grandmother’s house. So, not only was Tracey grieving the loss of her mother, but she was also grieving the loss of her entire family.
Her adoptive family went out of their way to make up ridiculous lies as to why they did not want Tracey and her siblings. Her aunt claimed that when they were little kids, they threatened to kill her.
Even their uncle, who was a pastor, kept saying they should go back to their own families.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
“I’m saying all this to say that if you’re thinking about adopting a child, one of your main concerns should be what would happen to that child if you were to pass away,” said Tracey.
“Because a lot of people don’t think about that, and a lot of people also assume that just because you see that child as your family that the rest of your family sees that child as your family. I’m here to tell you, they don’t.”
In the comments section, other TikTok users shared their own adoption-related stories.
“Mine did, too, but my sister was old enough to adopt us, and she did,” stated one user.
“That is horrifying. My children are all adopted, and it is in my will that they go to my brother if my husband and I both pass. We are their family! I am so sorry you went through this,” commented another.
“My sister adopted my niece. If something ever happened to her, I, naturally, as her aunt, would adopt her. That’s never been a question for me. I’m so heartbroken for you,” added someone else.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
