Hi, my name is Anna. I was adopted from China to the United States when I was 9 years old. I was taken away from the only family I had ever known: my foster family, who raised me from the time I was 3 months old, and my twin sister.

When I was adopted, I wasn’t allowed to say goodbye. I was forced to leave behind the people who had loved and cared for me for nearly a decade. My adoptive family did not want me to have any contact with them. The last time I saw my family was in 2018, and it was only for one day. Since then, I’ve lived with a lot of grief, pain, and the fear that something happened to them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growing up in my adoptive home in the United States, I experienced emotional and psychological abuse, especially from my adoptive mother. It was a controlling and painful environment, and by the time I was 19, I made the decision to cut ties for my own safety and well-being. Since then, I’ve been completely on my own financially and emotionally.

But I’ve also found strength in that struggle.

I’m now a full-time Ph.D. student studying Criminal Justice and Victimology. My own experiences as someone who was separated from my family and raised in an abusive home have shaped my purpose. I want to become a college professor and teach students about trauma, victimization, and resilience. I want to help others understand the systems that fail survivors and how we can build better ones.

But in early July this year, everything changed.

I managed to create a WeChat account, found my older sister’s phone number, and after seven years of silence, we were finally able to reconnect. I can’t describe what it felt like to hear their voices again and chat with my twin sister.

So I booked a last-minute trip to China for August. For the first time in over 15 years, I’ll get to spend real time with my family, not just a rushed visit. I’ll finally be able to hug my twin sister again and sit down with my parents, older siblings, and nieces. I'll be able to visit the home where I spent the earliest and happiest years of my life.

Since we reconnected, I’ve learned more about my twin’s life. She works as a massage therapist in Beijing, often from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with only four days off each month. She earns about $400 a month. With the current exchange rate, even a few hundred U.S. dollars could go a very long way for them.

I’ve been working full-time at my part-time job while attending graduate school full-time, trying to save up for this trip. But I want to do more than just visit. I want to bring some financial support with me and help however I can. They’ve lived modestly for years, and I want to show them that they haven’t been forgotten and that I still love and cherish them deeply.

How You Can Help:

Your donation will help me:

Support my family’s basic needs and expenses

Offer a meaningful financial gift to my twin sister, who works incredibly hard

Cover local transportation and travel needs during my trip

Bring gifts and supplies for my family to show my love and appreciation

This trip is more than just a visit. It’s a long-overdue homecoming and a chance to give back to the people who gave me so much. If you’re able to donate or share, I would be incredibly grateful.

Thank you for supporting this journey.

Anna