In the mid-70s, when I was a volunteer, a fellow PCV adopted an Ecuadorian infant who lost her hands and one arm in a horrible farming accident and whose campesino parents were much too poor to care for her.  Now that "infant" is a mother herself and has expressed an interest in locating her natural parents. Her U.S. mother is in her 80s and doesn't feel physically able to undertake such an effort, but I volunteered to help if I could (I'm only in my 60s!), as I had accompanied her and the child to the parents' home a couple times during the adoption process.

Through a Fulbright contact in Quito, I was able to determine that the father still resides in the same area as he did when the adoption occurred, though no confirmation was available about the mother, if she's still alive.  What I'd hoped to do first was somehow get in touch with the father and get a feel about his/their willingness to re-establish contact with their long-lost daughter.  If all goes well, we could eventually broach the subject of the daughter visiting them, as that is what she really hopes to do, though obviously, in respect for their privacy, we wouldn't want to just show up unannounced.  

I had hoped that maybe a Fulbright student in the Quito area (the family resides a couple hours northwest of the city near nowhere in particular) could do some of the initial leg work in locating the family, but that option went out the window when my contact got promoted to a cabinet level position in the Ecuadorian govt, meaning she's got much too much on her plate to be able to follow up.  But if not a Fulbrighter, perhaps a PCV.  Or a RPCV if there's one residing in Quito. 

If you've gotten this far in my message, I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have about how best to proceed.   My only PC/Ecuador contact was Marian Briones, the PC nurse, but none of my recent messages to her have elicited a response, so I'm not sure if she's still working there or not.  Thanks in advance for any advice you might have.  Please write directly to me at rblessin88@hotmail.com.

Ralph Blessing