It’s painful to lose a sibling. I can’t even imagine how my mother mustered up the courage to explained it to me at 15 years old that my father’s second wife returned our annual birthday check & card to my half-brother, Justin.

I spent years trying to find out where he was. I even got in contact with my estranged father to try to find out about my brother & how I could contact him with no avail. It wasn’t until my birthday was 16 (I was 21) that I finally was able to connect with him on MySpace.

I’m sure he probably thought I was an absolute nut-case when I told him my story… “My name is Danielle Wade. I’m searching for my younger brother, Justin whom I’ve only met once in my life — for his first birthday when I was 8 years old. I don’t know much other then his parents’ names & that he was last known to be in Tennessee. I’m hoping you are him. If not, I’m sorry to of bugged you”

Sure enough, he replied. He said he knew he had a sister, but never knew what happened & why communication had stopped. I explained that his mother saw me as a “threat”, a tie from her past with our father & she wanted to cut that tie.

It’s heartbreaking to know your younger brother pretty much grew up without you there at all & you barely know each other. Now he is 18 & I’d love to be able to go visit him.

Unfortunately, I am a stay-at-home-mom now to two young girls (2 & 4 months). While my husband is the only one working, there’s no way we can possibly afford to send me to Tennessee from Washington to see my brother – whom I haven’t seen in 17 years.