Woman Who Gave up Baby for Adoption Receives a Call 22 Years Later: ‘He Works with You’
A Difficult Decision
On October 5, 1985, Christine Tallady gave birth to a baby boy; a single mother at the time, she thought the best thing for her son was to give him up for adoption. Little did she know that this decision would haunt her for the rest of her life. Years passed, but she never forgot her son.
Steve Flaig – her son, who grew up in a stable home with his parents Pat and Lois Flaig. They loved and protected their son and gave him a solid moral upbringing.
When Flaig turned 18, and with the blessing and encouragement of his adoptive parents, he began searching for his birth mother. He started at the Blodgett Prosecutor’s Office for Children, the Grand Rapids agency that had handled his adoption. Tallady had left her records open, listing her name in hopes that the child she gave birth to as a young, single woman would contact her one day.
The Unexpected Reunion
After more than three years without success, she returned to the agency and discovered that the reason she couldn’t find her mother was because she was misspelling her last name. He put the correct spelling into a search engine and a Christine Tallady turned up living in Grand Rapids at an address not far from her own home and near the Lowe’s where she worked.
Two months ago, I learned that she not only walked into the store, but worked there. But now that he was so close to the person he had been looking for for so many years, he didn’t know how to approach her.
Finally, he went back to the adoption agency and asked for advice. An employee there offered to call Tallady and give her the news for Flaig. She told Tallady only her son’s first name and that he worked in the store with her.
A long time coming
Steve called his birth mother later that day, and the pair had an emotional reunion at the Cheers Good Time Saloon near Lowe’s store. They hugged, cried, and talked non-stop for almost three hours.
A teary-eyed Tallady appreciated her son’s education and credited his adoptive parents. She also told her husband, Dale, and their other two children, Alexandra and Brandon, about Steve. The children were eager to meet their stepbrother.
In 2008, Steve left Lowe’s and started selling tickets for Delta Airlines at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. But he and Tallady stayed in touch. Steve’s adoptive parents, Pat and Lois, were relieved to hear that their son had finally found his birth mother.
Tallady said that her life was complete, and she could openly tell everyone that she had three children. Please share this heart-melting reunion story with your loved ones, and let us know your thoughts.
