By Betty Gandee
Imagine knowing a part of you is missing, leading to questions unanswered for many years. Christi White of Bomont got news that would change her life, and put so many things into perspective, this past week. A simple “Happy Birthday, wherever you are” post on social media made way back to Christi and opened up a whole new world to her and her children.
Christi was in foster care and placed in a home where she resided for over two years with a couple named Mary and David. Some other teens were placed in the home that were not a good fit, so the couple requested the teens be transferred, which led to all of the children being relocated. This devastated Mary and David who continued to fight the system, even taking their case to the Senate, with failed luck.
Christi was placed with a new family that had no desire to keep her connection with Mary and David, refusing to relay gifts sent or letters wrote to her. The new couple even changed her name from Crystal to Christi when she was 12 years old. The adoptive family signed their rights away when Christi was 16, and left her feeling lost and homeless.
Christi then met Terri and Danny Funk who took her in as their own, and they became the family that she grew to love as Mom and Dad.
When Christi stumbled upon that Happy Birthday post on Facebook, she began to dig a little further and start searching for Mary and David. She looked up their old house in Gilmer County and searched deeds until she found information for Mary and David. She plugged that information into the white pages and began to dial every number listed. After multiple failed attempts she finally reached Carolina, David and Mary’s daughter in law, who connected her with the couple.
When they answered that call it was a prayer answered, and everyone was full of emotions to say the least. After hours of talking, plans were in the making for Mary and David to drive from Texas to meet up with Christi at their vacation home in Tennessee.
With a strong reconnection made upon their arrival, the emotions were overwhelming. So many memories and stories, and pictures still hanging on the wall of the green eyed little girl that Mary and David thought they’d never see again.
Christi says, “My adoptive family was horrible, and just thinking on how much my life would be different if I could have stayed in my home and with the ones who truly loved me brings up every kind of emotion.”