Chloe Hall, a 19-year-old University of Gloucestershire student, opens up about her search for a family of her own.
At the age of five, Chloe was adopted by David and Tracey Hall.
Mr Hall says: “We both wanted children but when we found out we couldn’t, that’s when we decided to adopt.” The adoption process was very long for the couple but after two years, they successfully adopted Chloe in 2007.
Chloe admits she felt “very overwhelmed and didn’t know what to expect” when she was first introduced to her new parents. She threw tantrums, slammed doors, but Mr Hall says: “It does not matter whether your kid is adopted or not, you have to go through the rough and smooth. That’s life.”
The effects of the adoption have left Chloe feeling abandoned. She says: “It leaves you wondering, wherever you are, am I wanted here? Do these people actually love me?”
But David and his late wife, Tracey, accepted Chloe as their own from the start.
This month is the adoption awareness month. The figures show that 78,150 children are now in care with only 297 children being adopted in 2019/20. Barnardo’s says: “We believe in the potential of children regardless of their circumstances, and that they deserve a loving family.”
Chloe has recently decided to reach out and find her biological family.
She continues to believe that “blood is not thicker than water” and plans to keep at arms-length from her birth mother, but Mr Hall, who has told her to be careful, has been waiting for the day she takes a step to find out where she originally came from.
Chloe wants to challenge the negative stereotypes of being adopted and says: “Keep your head up, ignore the negativity and know you are wanted no matter what.”
