BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Kevin Corbett spent 43 years waiting for the moment his birth mother and father would embrace him in a hug. After a decade of searching, it finally happened.
"43 years ago I put a baby up for adoption because I was 17 years old and I couldn’t provide for him the way he deserved to be provided for," Anne Huebel, Corbett's birth mom, said.
Corbett was adopted by Jean and Tom Corbett. Jean died in 2005, Tom in 2008.
"I had a great growing up. They picked a beautiful couple for me to be raised by. But having that void, I needed to search. I wanted to search," Corbett said, "And having that void, at that point, I wanted to reach out. I had always known I was adopted."
Corbett hit brick wall after brick wall. It was a private adoption, all court papers were sealed. But then Corbett hit a break last year.
"Governor Cuomo, last year, signed a bill allowing all New York State adoptees to get a copy of their original birth certificate," Corbett said.
He applied. December 4th he received his original birth certificate in the mail. On that slip of paper was his mother's name.
Corbett connected with a first cousin through Ancestry.com. He asked this cousin if he knew his mother. Within 23 hours, Corbett was on the phone with his birth mom, and the first thing he did was thank her for giving him to a great family.
"She said I’d like to put my husband on speaker phone and I thought okay great. In my mind, because dad’s name wasn’t on the birth certificate, I had another ten year search. Then she said, just so you know, he’s my one and only husband, which then in turn makes him your biological father. I was at a lost for words," Corbett said.
Corbett not only found both biological parents, but three biological siblings too.
"I’m just beyond grateful, and blessed," Huebel said.
The Huebels drove more than 8 hours to meet their first born son Sunday. Huebel said it's the best Christmas gift she could have asked for.
"It’s been a year of great challenges for our family. To be able to end this year with this kind of a gift, I’m in love," Huebel said.
