Woman searches for the mother she's never met
'I miss you so much and all I want to do is give you a big hug'
Maria Bugeja has never met her birth mother, but after 28 years of wondering, she’s now making a public appeal to finally give her a long-overdue hug.
Bugeja, a 28-year-old cleaner, lives in Santa Venera but was born at the Gozo General Hospital on June 9, 1997. She has been searching for her mother for most of her life.
She has one message: “Mum, if you are seeing this please don’t be scared to contact me. I miss you so much and all I want to do is give you a big hug.” she said in an emotional message addressed directly to her mother, who she believes is originally from Gozo.
Her story received attention recently when the vice mayor of Birzebbugia, Josette Busuttil shared her story on social media.
She said she has been wanting to find her mother since she was just six years old, but her efforts were blocked by her adoptive parents, with whom she no longer has a relationship.
“When I asked about my mum, the only thing I would hear from them was that my mother never cared about me and had no interest in me, so I should leave it alone,” she said.
She explained that hearing that was upsetting when she was younger.
As a result, she admitted she once felt resentment towards her mother for abandoning her. But, over time, that anger gave way to empathy and understanding.
“I can’t be mad at her now. It was such a different world and probably whatever the circumstance was, giving your child up for adoption was and still is a bit taboo.”
She added, “Furthermore, that anger has long passed. All I want to do now is tell her I love her and that I want her to be part of my life.”
Bugeja is working with limited information. She has been told her mother may have, at one point, lived in Birżebbuġa, although she does not know when. She also does not know who her biological father is.
“I feel, after 28 years, that I have the right to know who my mother is. I also want to know where I come from and if I have any more family I don't know about."
She has contacted Appoġġ and Identità and is also appealing to the public for help.
Anyone with information is asked to reach out to her via her Facebook profile or by email at mariabugeja28@yahoo.com.