Elderly woman in Singapore seeks biological family after 70 years
An elderly woman in Singapore who was given away as an infant is looking for any information on her long-lost biological family.
40-year-old key account manager Trisha Lin reached out to MS News on 16 April with an appeal to help her mother.
She explained that her mother, Tan Bee Geok, is turning 70 this year and wishes to look for her biological parents or siblings before it’s too late.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
Mdm Tan had been given away as an infant in 1955 or 1956 and grew up with an adoptive family.
Biological family gave her away due to hardship
Tan Bee Geok (陈美玉) was born to a Hokkien family on 20 July 1955, back when Great Britain still governed Singapore.
Trisha provided MS News with her mother’s old and worn birth certificate.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
Mdm Tan’s biological father is Tan Hock Seong, an unemployed man of unknown age.
As for her biological mother, her name is Yap Swee Ee, born either in 1925 or 1926.
According to the birth certificate, the family lived at 881 Lorong 3 in Geylang.
Mdm Tan’s adoptive parents told her that she had an elder brother and two older sisters in her biological family.
When she was born, her mother did laundry for a living while her paternal grandmother ran a char kway teow stall.
Due to her biological father’s unemployment, they could not provide for the new infant and gave Mdm Tan away.
Adopted by strangers on Queen Street
A family of strangers living at Queen Street took her in afterwards.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
Her adoptive father was named Zhang Shunshui (transliterated) (å¼ é¡ºæ°´) while her adoptive mother was called Guo Cuiying (transliterated) (éƒç¿ 英).
Mdm Tan only learnt she had been adopted when she was around 10 years old.
Trisha explained that her mother’s adoptive parents were also very poor.
Although they did their best to provide for her, Mdm Tan still had a tough life growing up.
She dropped out of Nanyang Girls’ High School in Secondary One due to financial problems.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
When Mdm Tan was just 19, her adoptive father passed away. Her adoptive mother died when Mdm Tan was 30 years old.
Following both her adoptive parents’ deaths, Mdm Tan had no immediate family members aside from her husband and three children.
Woman seeks biological family for 70th birthday
Trisha told MS News that she knew her mother was adopted since she was little. However, Mdm Tan seldom expressed any intentions of looking for her biological family.
Ms Tan with Trisha.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
Trisha suspects that she was recently “triggered” when her children started planning for her 70th birthday bash.
Realising that she had no family members to invite, Mdm Tan asked her children for help in looking for her biological relatives.
Ms Tan with her granddaughter.
Image courtesy of Trisha Lin
“My brothers and I are extremely close to my mum and all of us wish to fulfil this wish of hers,” Trisha explained.
She has posted an appeal for help on Facebook and reached out to various news sites as well as Member of Parliament (MP) Tan Kiat How.
Source: Trisha Lin on Facebook
Intends to visit her parents or their grave
Mdm Tan does not have any expectations for what to do if the reunion turned out successful.
“She simply wants to know how they have been doing and to visit her parents if they are still alive,” Trisha said.
In the case where her biological parents have passed on, Mdm Tan wishes to visit their burial site to pay her last respects.
If you have any relevant information, you can email Trisha at trisha.lin@gmail.com or send her a message on Facebook.
Also read: M’sian Man Reunites With Sister After 43 Years Apart, She Was Adopted By A Malay Family
M’sian Man Reunites With Sister After 43 Years Apart, She Was Adopted By A Malay Family
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Featured image courtesy of Trisha Lin.
