Mother reunites with son 24 years after birth

  • Published
  • By Steve Pivnick
  • 81st Medical Group Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) --  On a late night, Maj. Betsy Majma returned from a temporary duty trip and was really tired, but her husband urged her to go to the airport with him early the next morning to pick up someone.

She was overjoyed she did.

The 81st Surgical Operations Squadron nurse anesthetist was reunited that following morning with the son she had given up for adoption almost 24 years ago.

She said she had been hoping for this day since she had last seen Drew on April 6, 1980, three days after his birth.

Major Majma said there were many circumstances surrounding the difficult choice she had made.

“I was a pregnant teenager (at 19),” she said. “My boyfriend denied he was the father. With five younger brothers and sisters in school, my parents were in no position to raise another baby. I had only two options: an abortion or adoption.

“I had to drop out of school and get a job to pay for the maternity expenses. I contacted (an agency) to arrange the adoption,” she said.

Knowing she had to get her life in order, the major immediately returned to school, earned an associate’s degree in nursing in 1982 and then her bachelor’s degree in 1985. She was commissioned in the Air Force in 1986.

Throughout her military career, Major Majma continued to send the adoption agency letters to keep them informed of her location in case her son ever wanted to get in touch with her or if they needed to contact her for medical information. She also sent letters through the agency to Drew to let him know about her.

During an assignment at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the major signed up for a registry the adoption agency maintained that provided an avenue for adopted children to contact birth parents. When she was assigned here, she told the agency of her move. In December, Major Majma said she again talked with the agency to verify she was, indeed, in the registry.

“I found out my son had contacted them three years ago inquiring about the registry,” she said. “They did not notify him that I was already in the registry, and they did not contact me letting me know that he made contact. I asked them to correspond with him to see if he was still interested in the registry. He replied he was.”

Drew completed the required registry information and a state-required counseling session. Then, on March 2, he and his birth mother had each other’s information.

That night, Drew called while Major Majma was bowling here.

“He was in McKinney, just north of Dallas,” she said.

The phone rang, and Major Majma recognized the area code because her parents live near there.

“I answered it and said, ‘Drew.’ He said, ‘Yeah. How did you know it’s me?’ I told him it was mother’s intuition,” she said.

The major said she learned a bit about her son during the call. His adoptive parents call him Andrew but he goes by Drew. He is single with no children. He has an older sister, Mendy. She also was adopted from the same agency and recently met her birth mother.

Also, unbeknownst to the major, Drew was interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist. He will finish his associate’s degree in August and then start a bachelor’s degree program.

“When he showed my letters to his adoptive mother, she was blown away,” Major Majma said. “Of all the thousands of professions out there, he wants to do the same thing as me!”

The reunion was a surprise her husband, Mory, arranged with Drew’s cooperation.

“We spent four days together, and then I had to put him on an airplane back to Dallas,” the major said.

The four-day reunion was not the last time mother and son got together; the major has since driven to Dallas to visit with him.

Major Majma said one day soon she hopes to meet Drew’s adoptive parents but is not going to push the issue.

“One step at a time,” she said. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)