Making her mother's day: Woman raised as orphan tracks down 103-year-old mum
A elderly woman who was raised in an orphanage has been reunited with her mother after a 60-year search.
Eileen Macken, 81, grew up in Bethany Home orphanage in Dublin and had never met her or seen her mum, radio station RTE reports.
Ms Macken began searching for her mum when she turned 19. She’s since married and had a family of her own.
But last year she contacted the radio station asking for help to find her mum before using a genealogist.
The genealogist led her to find her mum in Scotland. She’s 103 years old and named Elizabeth.
Despite concerns from her family, as she went without Elizabeth knowing, the 81-year-old travelled to Scotland to finally meet her mum last month with her daughter and husband in tow.
"I went over to see her and she is the most beautiful lady," Ms Macken told RTE.
Ms Macken said Elizabeth was “thrilled” and “never let go” of her hand on meeting her.
The 81-year-old also discovered she has two half-brothers in their 70s.
It’s not clear how Ms Macken came to live in the orphanage.
But she said the trip to Scotland has given her closure after years spent searching and despite a hard life she has “a lot of be grateful for”.
“I can’t believe this surprise I got at this stage in my life, you can’t understand how thrilled I am,” Ms Macken said.
Elizabeth will celebrate her 104th birthday on Saturday.
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