Not many of us are lucky enough to have two wonderful mums. But Dawn Bradshaw has. The 34-year-old nurse was adopted at birth and brought up by loving parents. But when curiosity got the better of her she went to find the mum who gave her away - and now they're one big happy family

SITTING IN the living room of her Queensbury home, Dawn Bradshaw leafs through a photograph album.

"That's my mum, and there's mum, and this is one of me and mum." She points to a woman in each picture - but not the same woman. For Dawn has two mums - Ada and Valerie. One gave birth to her and the other brought her up.

Back in 1964, as a young unmarried mum, it was the stigma that the new baby was seen to put upon the family which prompted Valerie's parents to arrange to have the baby put up for adoption.

Valerie had fallen pregnant when the family was living in Ireland, but just before the birth she fell out with the father-to-be, and moved to England as an single mother.

Living with her parents in Derby, she was forced to hide the baby whenever anyone visited the house. Says Dawn: "My grandad was a councillor and staunch Catholic, and both he and my grandma thought it would bring shame on the family. I was kept out of sight and slept in a drawer."

When the baby became ill, she was smuggled over fields to the hospital, and never returned home. "The adoption was all arranged and my new parents began coming to the hospital to see me."

Dawn had an extremely happy childhood with her mum and dad, Ada and Cliff. Her adoption was never kept secret, but although she knew, she did not think much about it.

Dawn moved to Bradford with her first husband David, who came from the city. When she gave birth to her first child, Gareth, the hospital began asking questions about her past which she could not answer, and she admits her curiosity was aroused.

Yet it was not until years later, when she met her second husband, Ray, that she decided to look for her mum. Says Dawn: "Ray asked me why I had not tried to find her and I really didn't know, but I realised then that I wanted to know more about her."

By then Dawn had three children - Gareth and Liam, from her first marriage, and Jordan, with Ray. She contacted Bradford's adoption and fostering unit, who passed on the name of her mum, plus an address at which the family had lived when she was adopted. The house was in a hamlet in Derbyshire. Says Dawn: "We drove down and found an empty bungalow, but it looked like it had been lived in until quite recently."

On their way out of the village they stopped at the churchyard, where they came across a new grave. It belonged to Dawn's grandmother, who sadly had died just six weeks earlier.

The couple contacted the vicar, who gave them the address of the person who had organised the funeral service. Dawn knew immediately that it was her mum.

She says: "We went to her house and sat outside in the car. I knew she was there, but we didn't knock. Ray rightly said that she could have married someone who knew nothing about the adoption, and it would not be right to suddenly spring it on them."

So she wrote a letter, saying she was trying to trace lost relatives. She signed it Dawn Elizabeth Janine. She says: "I was christened Janine, and that would have been the name she knew me by. It was the hardest letter I've ever had to write."

The next day Ray rang Dawn at work: "I've just been speaking to your dad," he said, adding: "He married your mum." Dawn thought he'd gone mad, until she realised he was talking about her biological parents, who had got in touch.

"The people I work with thought I was crazy. They didn't know anything about it, then all of a sudden I'm shouting, 'My dad has married my mum!' Valerie and her boyfriend Stan had been reunited - but by then Dawn had already been adopted.

She also learnt that she had a brother and sister, and a niece and nephew. Back home, Dawn nervously telephoned Valerie. "She was expecting my call, and we chatted. It wasn't very emotional - I mean what do you say? I think Ray was closest to tears. Mum and I were quite calm, but I later learnt that when she got my letter she was running around the house, frantic."

They arranged to meet. Says Dawn: "We went to her house - it was strange, but also exciting. I looked so much like mum and we got on really well. Dad did not drink as a rule, but he ended up sipping champagne. We did hug, but it was not hugely emotional."

Dawn had not mentioned her search to her mum and dad in Bradford, but when she broke the news they took it well, and they all got together.

Recalls Dawn: "It was confusing. When I said 'mum' both my mums would look round. I had to try not to say it."

As she predicted, her two mums got along like a house on fire. "My mum was showing Valerie all the pictures of me as a baby, and as a little girl growing up."

Dawn was thrilled to find she had a brother and sister, Michelle and Kevin, who have children of their own. And her three boys now have a new set of grandparents who they see regularly.

To Dawn, Ada and Cliff - who sadly died in 1992 - are her "real" mum and dad, the people who worked so hard to bring her up. And her mum in Derbyshire is her best friend. Says Dawn: "We have so much in common, its frightening."

Ada says: "When Dawn first told me I was a bit upset, and shocked, but we had told her she was adopted when she was little and we always thought she would do it sometime. We don't all see each other often, but we all get on really well. Dawn and I are very close - we see each other all the time - and I love my grandchildren, they're wonderful."

Valerie says: "I was very shocked when I heard from Janine, but surprisingly I wasn't nervous. When we met I said I wanted to explain everything, but she said she didn't need to know. It was a terrible time for me back then - my mum and dad had her adopted behind my back. I loved her and wanted to keep her. But she went to a really good family. Ada brought her up really well. I have no regrets, but I wouldn't do the same again. Janine and I get on really well - we're the image of each other, and I feel lucky that I've been able to get to know her and her family."

For years Dawn was the regional representative for NORCAP, the Oxford-based National Organisation for the Counselling of Adoptees and Parents, tel. 01865 875000.

l Counselling and advice is also available from the charity After Adoption, tel. 0113 230 2100

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.