A SEARCH on social media enabled a woman to track down and reunite with her birth mother – 46 years after being given up for adoption.

Due to personal circumstances at the time, Durham Aged Mineworkers Homes Association (DAMHA) resident Diane Turner, who lives in Easington, County Durham, had to reluctantly have her baby daughter adopted.

That daughter, Debbie Seaton, was lovingly brought up by another couple, but knew from an early age that she was adopted.

Debbie, 46, always wondered who her birth mother was but had very little information to go on, other than she knew Diane’s surname was Garnham – Diane later changed her name to Turner when she was married – and that Diane possibly had older children.

But when she made initial enquiries with an adoption agency in Durham, she was told records from that time had been destroyed in a fire.

However, with the later introduction of social media, Debbie now had another avenue in which to search for Diane.

Debbie’s daughter, Courtney, made the breakthrough when whilst searching on Facebook. She came across a man called Steven Perry – Diane’s brother – who was friends with a Christopher Garnham. She later discovered that he was her brother.

This then led to Debbie seeing a picture of Diane.

Debbie said: “I showed my daughter and she said I was the double of Diane and that she had to be my mother.”

When Diane, 65, discovered that Debbie had tracked her down, she was delighted, and the pair were reunited for the first time in 46 years.

Diane said: “Personal circumstances at the time meant I had to reluctantly give Debbie up for adoption, but I never stopped thinking about her over the years.

“Meeting Debbie for the first time was nerve-wracking but I am thrilled to bits that we have been reunited.”

Debbie added: “I live in Gateshead so ironically, for the last ten years that Diane has been living in Easington, we have only been 20 miles from each other.

“I never felt any resentment towards Diane for putting me up for adoption and I understand the reasons she had to. My adoptive parents are lovely, and they have always been very open with me, so I see it as gaining another parent.”

Debbie and Diane being reunited has also extended both families, with brothers and sisters getting to know each other, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Diane added: “We’re still getting to know each other, but I see and speak to Debbie regularly and I couldn’t be happier.”