Oprah Discovers How Adoption Has Touched Her Family

What happens when a celebrity finds out that they have a long-lost sibling who was placed for adoption? Well, it makes great television, of course! Oprah’s recent announcement on her show that she had a half-sister who was placed for adoption by their mother scored great ratings and brought many questions surrounding adoption to the surface.

Oprah’s “O” magazine and show had featured adoption reunion stories in the past but this was the first one that involved her own family. It was touching to watch Oprah and her sister Patricia discuss the circumstances of their new relationship and how it came to be.

I have written in the past about privacy for adopted children and how important that is to them and their first family. Oprah highlighted how invaluable it was to her that her sister did not take this story to the media, but kept it to herself, wanting to protect a sister she did not even know yet. It was Patricia’s story, even with a famous sister, she chose to treasure her adoption story and not make money off of it. If someone who could gain so much attention from discussing their story could keep it to themselves surely those of us who are less-than an icon can do the same for our families, our children’s biological families included.