A Wrexham woman who spent years searching for her birth mother has described the emotional moment they were reunited after 30 years apart, thanks to social media.
Courtney Partington, 33, was adopted in 1996 and grew up believing her birth mum, Tracy Jane Bingham, had never wanted her.
But after years of unsuccessful searches through adoption agencies, social services and ancestry websites, a Facebook post finally brought them back together earlier this year.
Courtney, who has lived in Wrexham her whole life, said finding her mum, now 54, has completely changed her life.
She said: “It’s just changed me as a person. We finally got the answers I needed.”
Courtney always knew she had been adopted but described her childhood as difficult.
She said: “It was very hard and very sad. I always felt rejected.”
Determined to discover the truth, Courtney began searching for her birth family as a teenager.
She contacted organisations including Barnardo’s and social services and explored ancestry websites, but struggled to make progress.
She said: “I just wanted answers and closure, and to be back with my family.”
At the beginning of 2026, Courtney shared her story on Facebook in the hope somebody might recognise her.
Her post was spotted by a cousin from her birth mother’s family, who realised Courtney could be the relative they had also spent years trying to find.
Courtney explained: “She told me to message her because it sounded like I could be the girl they’d been trying to find.”
Unknown to Courtney, Tracy had also been searching for her daughter for years but struggled to trace her because her name had changed following her adoption.
On January 20, 2026, their decades-long search finally came to an end.
The pair reunited at Tracy’s home in Wrexham, with both feeling nervous about their long-awaited meeting.
Courtney said: “I was very nervous, very nervous and scared, and she was exactly the same.
“But then we were fine. Everything just fell into place.”
She described their first meeting as feeling as though they had never been apart.
According to Courtney, Tracy has learning disabilities and struggles with reading and writing. Tracy believes her mum was treated unfairly by social services when she was younger.
The mother and daughter have since been making up for lost time, enjoying two family holidays together and getting to know each other.
Courtney said: “Our relationship’s growing and we’re getting stronger and stronger as time goes on.”
She has also discovered just how much they have in common. She said: “We’re very much alike and what she does, I do.”
The reunion has also allowed Tracy to build a relationship with her grandchildren, including Courtney’s 11-year-old son.
Although he initially found it difficult adjusting to new family members entering his life, Courtney said he has now developed a close bond with his grandmother.
She said: “He’s getting on really well. He calls her Nana now and likes to spend time with her.”
Courtney has also been welcomed by Tracy’s husband, who now calls her his daughter.
For Tracy, the reunion was equally emotional after decades of wondering whether she would ever see her daughter again.
The 54-year-old said she had never stopped thinking about Courtney throughout their years apart. Recalling the moment they were reunited, she said: “I’ve got my daughter back.”
Tracy described their separation as “very traumatic” and “heartbreaking”, adding: “It was like someone had been pulled away from me.”
She also spoke about the circumstances surrounding Courtney’s adoption, claiming she had not been given an explanation when her daughter was taken into care.
Tracy said: “They never informed me. They just took her. It was all done behind my back.”
Her husband said the family had since seen paperwork referring to police protection but remained unclear about the circumstances. He added that the family hoped to obtain further information from the police to establish exactly what happened.
Despite the years they spent apart, Tracy said she never gave up hope of seeing Courtney again.
Read more
Tracy said: “It's been really, really good. We’ve been on holidays together and I think we're spending Christmas together.”
Tracy said the reunion has also given her the opportunity to get to know Courtney’s children and begin making up for the years they lost.
They now speak every day through video calls, and Courtney has begun meeting other relatives, including her uncle and cousin.
Looking ahead, she hopes to continue strengthening their relationship and making memories together. She said she is most looking forward to “just having that mother and daughter relationship, and catching up on lost time.”
And for anyone else searching for their birth family, Courtney has one message.
She said: “Never give up. Because that’s what I did, I never gave up. I just tried and I tried.”
After 30 years apart, Courtney said she is simply grateful to have her mum back.
She added: “I’m just very, very happy.”
Share