A woman discovered that she was the result of incest and shared her story about how this revelation affected her life.
Teresa Weiler was adopted at the age of two and a half by a senior civil servant and his wife in Middlesex. Before her adoption, she resided in a children’s home in London, UK.
In an interview with OMG Stories: Up Close and OMG Stories on YouTube, Teresa recounted her experience, revealing that she had been abandoned in West London.
Her photograph was featured in a Catholic weekly notice, leading her adoptive parents to respond and welcome her into their family, which included two biological sons and, later, another adopted daughter.
Growing up in a Catholic household, the idea of ‘sex before marriage’ was strictly disapproved of.
However, Teresa soon discovered that her origins were rooted in something more troubling.
At 18, Teresa’s adoptive father gave her the original birth certificate, which identified her biological mother as Teresa Maureen O’Reilly, yet omitted her biological father’s name.
In her 20s, Teresa sought out further information by visiting the social services office to access her files.
Choosing to keep her intentions secret to avoid distressing her family, she kept her findings hidden due to feelings of ‘shame’ and ‘revulsion’.
Upon learning that her mother was only 16 when she was born, Teresa discovered the shocking truth: ‘my father was actually her brother, and he was only 14 at the time.’
In front of the cameras, Teresa stated: “So basically, my parents were brother and sister.”
“Growing up in a Catholic family where premarital sex is frowned upon, this revelation was unimaginable. I was at a loss with that information,” she confessed, adding that it made her ‘feel sick’.
Nonetheless, the discovery provided clarity regarding her past.
Teresa remarked: “This revelation answered lingering questions about why I was unwanted and ended up in a children’s home.
“Above all, I felt a profound shame, as this was a taboo not only in the Catholic community but any community would find this appalling, as did I.”
After absorbing her file’s contents, Teresa walked for a long time, ultimately deciding against having children, despite her desire to start a family like her siblings.
Fearing the possibility of ‘passing on some developmental delay either physically or mentally,’ she resolved instead to be the ‘best auntie ever’.
Her biological mother later attempted to reach out through a parental reunion register, and Teresa suspects her father was present during their initial meeting, though her mother introduced him as ‘a friend’.
While initially pleased to see the resemblance between herself and the pair, her contentment was fleeting as she began to probe about her birth and her parents’ lives.
She expressed: “I hadn’t realized how angry I felt inside.”
Her mother suggested she return when she was ‘calmer’ and subsequently cut off contact, disconnecting her phone and relocating shortly after, leaving Teresa heartbroken.
Over time, Teresa has come to terms with her origins and finds joy in her relationships with her nieces and nephews.