In 1966, Cynthia Anne Henke was born and relinquished for adoption. Months later she was adopted -- her named changed to Denise Kristina. Her original birth certificate was sealed forever.
In 1994, Denise reunited with both sides of her birthfamily and started the award-winning website, Voices of Adoption (1994-2001) which was recognized as the premier adoption website on the Internet. In 1998, Denise was named "The Top 25 Most Influential Women on the Web" and was a Webby Award Judge.
She also worked to open original birth certificates for adult adoptees through Bastard Nation. Her adoptive parents became lifetime members of Bastard Nation and supported her right to her own information that was sealed by the government. In the film, you see her parents modeling Bastard Nation t-shirts.
Denise can trace her birth roots to the 1200s yet she cannot get her original birth certificate.
In March 1997, Denise sat down with her parents to talk about their thoughts on adoption and her finding her birthparents.
From Denise:
This Mother's Day prompted me to do something with film I created ten years ago. Five years ago, my mother passed away after years of struggling with emphysema and osteoporosis. I ache for her especially when I need someone to talk with about motherhood. She comes to me in my dreams sometime and I choke with tears realizing that it is only a dream. It makes me sad that she died before my son came into the world, and that my son at three still doesn't register her existence yet. I am hoping this will help him visualize who she was. She would have adored my son.
I miss her deeply and even though we are not connected by birth there is no question that she is my mother -- mommy. She understood this and knew that not even my birth mother could replace her in my heart. I love her.
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