A Christmas to remember
Charlottetown native enjoys emotional reunion with his birth mother
A Toronto man born in Charlottetown received the best Christmas present he’s ever had this year — he hugged his birth mother for the first time in his life.
The reunion for John Harvey MacEwen, 39, and his birth mother took place on Dec. 27 after he and his fiancé, Christina Cleveland, arrived on P.E.I. for the holidays.
“It was emotional. She cried and I welled up,’’ MacEwen told The Guardian on Friday when asked what happened when his birth mother opened her door and saw him. “It was very intense.’’
“This was really my Christmas present for the year . . . we are both happy that we found each other and can now start a relationship with her from this point forward.’’ John Harvey MacEwen
MacEwen reached out to The Guardian in October in a lastditch effort to find his birth mother. He wanted to let her know that he was grateful for the choice she made, for giving him a second chance with a new family.
Shortly after the article appeared, MacEwen received a call from a social worker that the article was shared with his birth mother through a friend or family member and, as a result, she reached out to P.E.I. Child and Family Services. The reunion was set in motion.
MacEwen describes his birth mother as a very private, shy person who still doesn’t want to be identified, at least not yet. He would only say that she lives in the greater Charlottetown area.
Until Dec. 27, the birth mother hadn’t had the chance to hold her son. Having already decided to give him up for adoption, as soon as she had him, he was whisked away. She only saw a picture of him later.
MacEwen was adopted by Harvey and Anne MacEwen who have been completely supportive of their son’s search. They will meet the birth mother, too, while MacEwen and Cleveland are home visiting.
“I didn’t know what to expect; I didn’t know what it would be like. She opened up right away. That made things a lot more real. It made it a lot more real to finally meet, to have that hug, that embrace. That’s where the connection for me really begins.’’
They exchanged photos and talked about his 39 years. Cleveland was set to meet her in person on Friday night, along with John and Christina’s six-year-old son, Max.
“Max and I were just talking and I asked (him) how he thought (the reunion) was going to go for daddy,’’ Cleveland said. “He said it’s going to go good, that ‘I think she’s going to be proud of him because he has a son and he takes care of me’.’’
Cleveland said Max had all kinds of questions to ask his new grandmother – her favourite colour, her birthday and her favourite foods.
MacEwen said his birth father isn’t in the picture at all.
“He doesn’t even know it happened. They met in the summer and by the end of summer he went away to university. She found out she was pregnant and she couldn’t track him down.’’
MacEwen said he may decide to track him down someday, but he doesn’t want to turn anyone’s life upside down.
Right now, he’s just relishing in the joy of catching up with his birth mother.
“This was really my Christmas present for the year . . . we are both happy that we found each other and can now start a relationship with her from this point forward.’’