Michael Patrylo of Jim Thorpe, recently found his entire family living in Oklahoma. His search spanned 40 years.

He recognizes that not all searches for one's biological roots end as positively as his. Nevertheless, he strongly encourages other adoptees who struggle with the decision of whether, or how, to pursue their own searches, to take the leap and obtain closure, one way or the other.He offers two critical pieces of advice:• Assess every possible outcome up front, and become comfortable with each one.• If born in another country, find an advocate willing to act on your behalf in the native language of that country.