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Jamestown Resident Finds Her Biological Family In Colombia

Chelsea Gardner, at left, and Gardner’s biological mother, Naimer, who died from ovarian cancer two years ago at the age of 43, at right.

Less than two weeks after calling on the community for help in finding her South American biological family, Chelsea Gardner is already making plans to meet her siblings in person for the first time.

Gardner, a 25-year-old Colombian-born Jamestown resident, has received some resolution to the lifelong questions she harbored regarding the location and status of her birth mother.

An article the Aug. 8 edition of The Post-Journal outlined the events surrounding Gardner’s 1991 birth in Colombia and subsequent adoption at six months old by now-deceased Jamestown residents Anthony and Patty Schifano. Gardner said the Schifanos had always been open with her about her heritage, and that she had been very curious about her roots and the woman who gave her life ever since she was old enough to comprehend her circumstances.

“(The Schifanos) told me from the time I was old enough to understand that I had been adopted, and so I always had an interest in finding my roots,” she said previously. “Anthony and Patty both passed away over five years ago, and ever since then I’ve been wanting to try and connect with my birth mother.”

Gardner began doing some of her own research and came across ColombiaTuPais — an agency that assists adopted Colombian children in finding their biological families. Within a matter of weeks, she received word from ColombiaTuPais that her biological family had been located, but received some bad news in the process.

“Unfortunately my mother, Naimer, passed away two years ago from ovarian cancer at 43,” she said. “I did learn that she graduated school, studied cooking and dancing, and worked for an airline agency.”

Thankfully, Gardner also discovered that she has a stepfather, Jhon Jairo, and five younger biological half-siblings all together in Bogota, Colombia. Her siblings, in order of their birth, are: Jhonathan, who died unexpectedly shortly after their mother; Juan Carlos; Jhon David; Paula; and Jhon Alexander.

Despite just learning of her siblings, Gardner said her brothers and sister all knew about their older half-sister, whom their mother referred to as “Lucero,” the lost daughter.

“I want to add that it was a sacrifice of love that my mother made when she gave me up for adoption,” Gardner said. “My mother was 18 when she had me, and my father had abandoned us. She went to a local adoption agency asking for help and she determined that adoption was her best option for giving me a better life. She told my siblings about me and how it hurt her heart to make that decision, and that she wished she had been in a better place to keep me.”

Gardner mentioned that her mother met and married Jhon Jairo about five years later, and the rest of her children were a result of that marriage. She added that her mother had concluded that, had she met Jhon Jairo earlier and been in a more stable situation, she likely would have kept her first child.

“Out of this, I am very happy and humbled,” Gardner said. “I hope to adopt myself someday, as I see adoption as such a positive thing.”

Gardner said she has been in contact with her sister, Pauline, almost every day, and has also spoken with her youngest brother, Jhon Alexander.

An online GoFundMe campaign Gardner originally established in order to fund the search for her family, is now being kept open to help her fund the trip she intends to take with her husband, Sean, next July to visit her family in person. Additionally, she said her sister Pauline is planning to visit Jamestown in December for the holiday season, and to see snow for the first time.

The campaign can be found at gofundme.com/9-30-91. Gardner is seeking $1,000 and has currently raised over $200.

“I want to thank everyone who has contributed financially, and give a special ‘thank you’ to my family members who helped the most in funding the search for my birth family. I thank my friends and family,” she said.

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