Woman to be reunited with parents

A Chinese woman, who was adopted by a couple from the Netherlands 23 years ago, has successfully identified her biological parents through DNA tests, after being helped by local media in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.

The 23-year-old Linsey van Santen was abandoned five weeks after she was born.

Having learned about other successful cases, she came up with the idea of searching for her birthparents via the media last year, with the Wenzhou Metropolis Daily publishing her story last month.

Van Santen said in the story that she was abandoned in front of Wenzhou Children Welfare Center on the evening of July 18, 1994, wrapped in a blanket.

She stayed at the center for a while, until the Dutch couple adopted her.

Aware that she was adopted as a young child, she has been eager to contact her biological parents.

"I have become an independent women and I want to let my Chinese parents know that I am living a good life," she said.

Having lived overseas for so long, Van Santen speaks little Chinese, but insisted on having Chinese posters published on Chinese social media sites in the hope of them being seen by her birthparents.

Van Santen's story was published by several media outlets over the past month. Many people called a hotline number to give clues or claiming to be her birthparents. However, it was the information provided by a woman, surnamed Wu, from Longwan district in Wenzhou city that was most important.

Wu had been checking notices regarding missing family members for years, and the detailed information in the Wenzhou Metropolis Daily report appeared to correspond to her second daughter.

Both Van Santen and Wu provided DNA samples to a gene testing organization, with test results revealing on Friday that Wu is Van Santen's biological mother.

The pair added each other on WeChat later that day and began chatting with the help of its translation function. Van Santen conducted a video call with Wu at the Wenzhou Metropolis Daily office on Saturday, assisted by an interpreter.

"Baby, I feel guilty all the time. It is all my fault," said Wu, who could not help crying when facing her long lost daughter.

Van Santen said her foster parents were very happy for her and she would reschedule her 2018 China trip to reunite with her Chinese family later this year.

Ruan Lifan contributes to this story.

shixf@chinadaily.com.cn