"Holiday trip to Sri Lanka ended up getting a whole new family"

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Andrew found his family - after 33 years

"Holiday trip to Sri Lanka ended up getting a whole new family"

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Andreas Tilly adopted from Sri Lanka 33 years ago.

When he went to the house that his mother would live in, he got a shock.

- She lived, even though the address I had was more than 30 years old, says Andreas is now reunited with all his biological family.

FAKTA

Name: Andreas Sandun Tilly

Age: 34

Lives: Dublin, Ireland

Do: Working in IT

Family: Mom, Dad and a little sister (Josefine) which is also adopted from Sri Lanka

Andreas Tilly was only 5 months old when he was adopted to Höllviken, south of Malmö.During childhood, he rarely pondered on its origin.

- I grew up in a good and safe family. And never thought I was actually coming from. I know that many adoptees are curious about their roots, for me it was never so.

Adoption documents with the old address was lying in a box - in 33 years. Until Andreas girlfriend wondered if he would not visit the country he was born in.

- I was not really excited about the idea at first, but then I started googling and found that Sri Lanka appeared to be a nice country, said Andreas with a laugh.

Brought documents

Before the trip, he contacted the adoption agency and got the remaining documents from its adoption. He stopped them at the bottom of the suitcase, along with the 33 years old address.

- I thought that I take with me the documents in the case, but I absolutely had not decided if I wanted to try to do some research.

Holiday in Sri Lanka began with a few lazy days on the beach, guided tours, safaris.

And when it was only a few days left holiday papers were still at the bottom of the suitcase.

- When I told him that I was adopted as the owner of a restaurant we used to eat at, he said I'd regret it if I did not try to look for my family.

The orphanage looked like in the pictures

The restaurant owner offered to drive Andrew and his girlfriend to the orphanage as Andreas lived and then to the address he had for her mother.After a moment's hesitation, Andrew decided to accept the offer.

The day after we took off.

- I had no expectations at all. Thought most probably it might be fun to see the children's home, I had seen pictures of me and my biological parents outside the house.

That finding was not difficult at all - the house looked just like Andrew remembered it from the pictures. The difference now was that it was converted into a private residence, which meant that Andrew did not get a chance to see the inside.

- I photographed a little, then we went to the village where my mother would have lived when I was born.

Long wait outside the house

The village was the first nobody knew the address - but when Andrew showed locals their Sri Lankan surname gate, he was on to a different area - and where was it - the house that his mother once would have stayed in.

- Then it started spinning in my head for real.

The driver went in first. And remained long in the house.

Outside sitting Andreas in tuk-tuk and wondered what would happen now. Was she there? Did she meet him? Would he be disappointed?

Fifteen minutes later the driver came back in the company of a man.

- The man took my hand, looked at me intently and said that he was my uncle. Then he said, "your mother is at home and she wants to meet you."

"Mom had been waiting for 33 years"

Andreas mother standing outside the house when he stepped into the courtyard.

- I can not explain how it felt. It was unreal, and then the real and unreal, then again, Andrew laughs and continues:

- My mother just looked at me and cried. She wanted to feel on my face and went in and out of the house, she did not know where she would go.

Later, Andrew learned that his then underage mother forced to adopt him - that at first she refused to let go of him in the courtroom, but it ended with that she had to give up his son. After that, she never stopped hoping that Sundun - as she called him, would one day come back.

"It just gushed in people"

After a moment, got Andreas out that he has two brothers and his father - who left the family several years earlier - was also in life.

Everyone wanted to meet him.

Additionally, word spread in the village - the prodigal son returned.

- It poured in people. Cousins, in-laws wives, aunts ..., everyone wanted to hug and, yes, it was very tumultuous.

Andreas brothers immediately canceled their days when they learned that their brother "come home".

And just a few hours after the first emotional meeting with the mother, the whole family together.

- It was like a dream. My one brother is a lot like me and I could immediately recognize myself in my father. We are equally bald both!

Two days after the surprise reunion was time for Andrew to go home again.

But with a whole new feeling in the body.

- To meet my family changed my life, it felt like the final piece that I never really been looking for had fallen into place.

Will you go back?

- Absolutely! But when I have not decided. Until further notice, I am in daily contact with my brothers through Facebook.