Before being adopted by a French couple, Kim Hoa Gouguet (31, born Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa) was the youngest of seven children in a struggling Vietnamese family.

Growing up in poverty, Kim Hoa and her siblings faced daily challenges, including hunger and lack of clothing. When she was just a year old, her mother fell ill, exacerbating the family’s dire situation. Advised to give up their two youngest children for adoption, the parents initially hesitated. However, after her husband’s persuasion, Kim Hoa’s mother reluctantly agreed, hoping for a better life for her children. Kim Hoa and her sister Kim Huyen were taken to an orphanage in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Three months later, a French couple adopted Kim Hoa and took her to Machecoul, a town in western France. Two years later, they adopted another Vietnamese child.

"I always knew I was adopted, but I had a happy childhood," Kim Hoa recalls. "My adoptive parents were special people who loved me deeply and were always grateful to my birth parents and homeland. They made sure I knew where I came from."

“My adoptive parents often told me that Vietnam is a wonderful country. They explained that my birth parents, unable to provide for me, made the difficult decision to give me up for adoption. I never blamed them because their sacrifice brought happiness to both my adoptive parents and me.”

At age 12, encouraged by her adoptive parents, Kim Hoa considered searching for her birth family but wasn’t ready. However, they took her on several trips back to Vietnam.

During these visits, she returned to the orphanage where she had stayed before moving to France but hesitated to search for her birth parents, fearing disappointment.

In 2023, after facing professional challenges and battling depression, Kim Hoa decided to visit Vietnam again with her family in February 2024. This time, she secretly planned to search for her birth parents but kept it hidden from her adoptive parents to avoid potential disappointment if the search failed.

Before traveling to Vietnam, Kim Hoa spent two weeks studying her adoption records, discovering her birth parents’ names for the first time. She also had a photo of a Vietnamese couple with seven children, given to her by a nun when she was 10 years old.

"After adopting me, my adoptive parents maintained contact with the orphanage where I was cared for. When I was 10, a Vietnamese nun visited France and gave my parents a photo, suggesting that the people in it might be my birth family. I’ve kept that photo ever since."

“For 20 years, it’s been on my bedside table. Every time I look at it, I feel something special, though I can’t describe it.”

A joyous reunion

Recalling the nun’s words, Kim Hoa took a picture of the photo and shared it with a new Vietnamese friend, who was optimistic about finding her birth parents.

Upon arriving in Vietnam, Kim Hoa met with friends in Ho Chi Minh City who were eager to help with her search. A day later, her story and the photo were shared on social media and in the news.

Just two hours after the photo of the couple with seven children was posted online, the group assisting Kim Hoa received astonishing news—they had likely found her birth parents.

"While boarding a plane back to France, I got a call from my friend saying, ‘Kim Hoa, we found your parents.’ I couldn’t believe it. My heart was racing."

“She suggested I stay in Vietnam to reunite with them, but for various reasons, I couldn’t. So, I got on the plane, feeling anxious, doubtful, but also overwhelmed with joy.”

Upon arriving in France, Kim Hoa was surprised to learn that her birth family, with the help of others, was waiting to meet her via video call. She was moved to tears when she realized she had six siblings.

Through the screen, she met her father, Nguyen Van Bang, her mother, Than Thi Nga, her siblings, and 11 nieces and nephews. During the call, she vowed to find her sister Kim Huyen, who was also adopted.

With the help of the community, Kim Hoa located her sister Kim Huyen on May 7. Now 34, Kim Huyen is married with children and lives near Orléans, France, about a four-hour drive from Kim Hoa’s home.

At the end of July, Kim Hoa returned to Vietnam with her husband, children, and adoptive parents to reunite with her birth family. They traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to the modest home of Mr. Bang and Mrs. Nga in Phu Giao District, Binh Duong Province.

After 30 years, the reunion between the Vietnamese and French families was filled with tears and overwhelming joy.

“Even now, I can’t find the words to describe what I felt on the day I reunited with my family after 30 years apart."

“I experienced indescribable joy mixed with a sense of unfamiliarity. I could feel the love everyone had for me, despite not having seen each other for 30 years."

“After the joy and happiness, the emptiness in my heart and soul has been filled. The reunion was magical, like a miracle.”

Drawing from her experience, Kim Hoa hopes that adoptive parents will help their children connect with their roots. She encourages adoptees searching for their birth parents not to lose hope.

“If you’re an adoptee abroad, first learn about your homeland. Then, connect with the people and authorities where you were born and work with trustworthy friends. Finally, use the media and social networks to aid in your search,” she advises.

Ha Nguyen