My name is Katharine. I am a young, unwed mother, 16 years of age. I, too, feel the pain of losing my first born. I love her very, very much. I gave birth to my daughter, Erin Michelle, on January 7th 2002. I remember my first experience, when they first gave me the looks and stares. I went to tour the hospital that I would be giving birth in, all the nurses -- mean old women -- just stared at me. I heard their whispers from down the hall. That was just the beginning, then came deciding what would happen to my child.

My parents refused to help me raise her. My boyfriend of two years would abandon me if I kept her. My attorney told me the law would take her away if I kept her. I was lost. I was in a whirlpool of social workers, doctors, parents, and my boyfriend telling me that adoption was the unselfish thing to do. I was totally and completely brainwashed. These were adults, didn't they know what was best? I was wrong, dead wrong.

On January 7th, I put my daughter in the arms of her adopters. I had a horrible mess of tears in my eyes, she was my flesh and blood! She was the beautiful creation of my boyfriend and I, she was everything to me.

Now days have gone by and I sit in my room and cry. I am her mother and she needs to be with me, I love her and feel totally lost without her to love.

Mother and daughter belong together. Now I can't help but push my boyfriend away when he tries to hug me, and I snap so easily at him on the phone. I haven't bothered being polite and nice to our attorney, after all I listened to the people I trusted, the people who were supposed to help me, not break me!!! I feel lost without her....