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Colwood, B.C. man finds Scottish birth certificate, discovers he was kidnapped as a baby
April 21, 2021
''COLWOOD -- Ginette is preparing to share what she never expected to tell: her husband AJ’s story.
"He was always saying, ‘I hope I have the energy and knowledge to write a book about what happened to me,’" Ginette says.
But he didn’t get the chance. AJ died four days ago.''
''The story begins when Ginette was going through some papers and saw a birth certificate featuring an unfamiliar name, Kenneth McIntosh. AJ said his parents first showed him the document when he was 13.
"They told him they adopted him," Ginette says. "But [they said] they didn’t really want him."
She says AJ left home at 16 but didn’t really start looking for his birth mother until he was in his 40s. That’s when Ginette suggested they write to the address on his birth certificate in Scotland.
"A couple months later somebody finally phones us," Ginette recalls. "They say, ‘We are really sorry, we opened the letter but it’s no house anymore.’"
The caller said what was once a house was now a park. Then they offered to share AJ’s search with the local newspaper. The paper published the information and a couple weeks later AJ received another call from Scotland.''
''The caller said she was AJ’s aunt, had pictures from when he was a baby, and said his birth mother, Martha, was living in Vancouver.
Ginette and AJ eventually tracked her down at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.''
But the most unbelievable moment of all was when AJ’s mom said she hadn’t put him up for adoption. She said he’d been kidnapped.
"[As a baby] he was kidnapped," Ginette says. "[Martha] told us all the details."
''Martha said they’d moved from Scotland to Canada to be with AJ’s birth father. The relationship didn't work out and she was left a single mother, in a foreign country in 1948.
Then, one night she said she returned home from working at the Empress Hotel to find the babysitters and her 18-month-old gone. They were never found.''
AJ spent the next 25 years loving, and being loved, by his family. And Ginette says that’s why he wanted to share his story — to inspire others to keep hope alive.
"Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up," Ginette recalls AJ’s words. "Love is there somewhere."
rbbm.
April 21, 2021
''COLWOOD -- Ginette is preparing to share what she never expected to tell: her husband AJ’s story.
"He was always saying, ‘I hope I have the energy and knowledge to write a book about what happened to me,’" Ginette says.
But he didn’t get the chance. AJ died four days ago.''
''The story begins when Ginette was going through some papers and saw a birth certificate featuring an unfamiliar name, Kenneth McIntosh. AJ said his parents first showed him the document when he was 13.
"They told him they adopted him," Ginette says. "But [they said] they didn’t really want him."
She says AJ left home at 16 but didn’t really start looking for his birth mother until he was in his 40s. That’s when Ginette suggested they write to the address on his birth certificate in Scotland.
"A couple months later somebody finally phones us," Ginette recalls. "They say, ‘We are really sorry, we opened the letter but it’s no house anymore.’"
The caller said what was once a house was now a park. Then they offered to share AJ’s search with the local newspaper. The paper published the information and a couple weeks later AJ received another call from Scotland.''
''The caller said she was AJ’s aunt, had pictures from when he was a baby, and said his birth mother, Martha, was living in Vancouver.
Ginette and AJ eventually tracked her down at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.''
But the most unbelievable moment of all was when AJ’s mom said she hadn’t put him up for adoption. She said he’d been kidnapped.
"[As a baby] he was kidnapped," Ginette says. "[Martha] told us all the details."
''Martha said they’d moved from Scotland to Canada to be with AJ’s birth father. The relationship didn't work out and she was left a single mother, in a foreign country in 1948.
Then, one night she said she returned home from working at the Empress Hotel to find the babysitters and her 18-month-old gone. They were never found.''
AJ spent the next 25 years loving, and being loved, by his family. And Ginette says that’s why he wanted to share his story — to inspire others to keep hope alive.
"Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up," Ginette recalls AJ’s words. "Love is there somewhere."
rbbm.
