Will you help me find “Suzi”? Her Ethiopian siblings have been searching for her for years. They want to fulfil their late parents dearest wishes to find their beloved daughter.
It started just a few weeks ago. I walked into the early evening air outside The Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa. A man and woman emerged from the shadows. The woman spoke so softly that I had to lean in. Then the man continued with the same hushed tones.
I admit to being slightly irritated. I thought the night of attention to others was over when the book signing finished but that’s not how life is and so I listened. What came to pass was a story of childhood separation and pain. It poured out so quickly I had to stop them to regain the facts. At the end I knew “I must help you find your sister”. I gave them my personal email address.
The sister they are searching for is “Suzi Jordan”. She is an Ethiopian adoptee taken to Norway in the mid sixties by two Norwegian Doctors. The doctors (both named Dr Jordan) were in Ethiopia via The Seventh Day Adventist Church and worked at Zewditu Hospital. This is where Suzi was born in the mid sixties. She was three years old when they took her after arranging legal terms with her father that she would return.
Fastidiously her Ethiopian father kept in touch by letter from Ethiopia to the Jordans in Norway but eventually his letters came back return to sender. Determined not to lose her child the mother found a woman named Ethiopia, who worked at Zewiditu hospital and knew The Jordan Family in Norway. Under guise as The Norwegians friend Ethiopia visited the Jordan’s in 1985/6 and spoke to Suzi. Suzi was just a teenager. Ethiopia reported that Suzi believed all of her family had died in the famine.
Far from dying in the famine the birth parents had eight children: five males three females. The birth mother died in 1992 and the father died in 1996. Their dying wish was the same as their living one: to find Suzi their daughter.
Suzie Jordan (suzi could be Susi wich could be a shortened version of Suzette Suzanne Susanne or Susan) is now in her mid fifties. She is a Doctor in Gynaecology, she grew up in Norway, studied in London and as of 15 years ago married and moved to Sweden. Her second name may have changed from Suzi Jordan to Suzi XXXXX? has one or more children. There can’t be even two Norwegian gynaecologist doctors who are brown skinned (Ethiopian) in their late forties early fifties who live in Sweden or Norway with the name Suzi. There can only be one. Please help find her.
Ethiopian Christmas Day is not December 25th it is January 7th. Would it be possible to find Suzi in Sweden or Norway by then? Please share this post on Norwegian and Swedish sites. Share with Embassies and medical sites and everywhere you can. Let’s see if we can find her.
Lemn, I can help with this one. I know quite a few Norwegians, including Norwegian doctors and a diplomat. Will let you know how I go. This story is very moving. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Australia’s adoption program with Ethiopia was suspended because of unethical adoptions – children stolen from their parents, country and culture – terrible wrongs that must be addressed. I hope Suzy can be found by Ethiopian Christmas x
Thankyou Jodie, thisis exactly the kind of response I need X
Lemon, might I ask where you got that image of the babies you posted with your blog? One of the infants looks strikingly similar to my 12 year old adopted son.
Sorry, Siri autocorrected your name, Lemn.
It happens a lot. 🙂
Beth it was a stock image from online
Hi Lemn My friend Anna who is a senior nurse in Stockholm married an Ethiopian young man called Nega who is also a nurse. His further education was sponsored by my charity organisation ‘Building Hope’. http://Facebook.com/pages/Building-Hope/278175448869881. They met in Ethiopia working for Doctors Without Borders in and got married last year. They both living in Stockholm and work in a hospital. I’ll forward your message on to them and hope that Suzi will be found and reunited with her birth family.
On 2 January I am flying from Manchester to Addis via Brussels with Ethiopian Airlines. I am very excited as I’ll be celebrating Christmas in Lalibela (7 Jan) with my sponsored Alumni and his family.
Merry Christmas!
Best wishes
Vero
Great news and Thankyou. Thankyou.
Hi Lemn
It’s Ampy from Leila and Geoffrey, Amy (boss of L&G) is married to a Swede (originally from Kenya the family sought refuge from Kenyan gov.t) Oscars sisters both still live in Sweden , one of them is a social worker, I will ask them if there’s anyway of researching gynaes in Sweden , might help . Hope she’s found and has a happy reunion with her family
Also have a great Christmas hope the dinners all go fantastically
Ampy xx
Thankyou Ampy.
The Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel (SAK)
PO Box 8053 Dep
NO-0031 Oslo
Norway
Tel: +47 21 52 9700
Fax: +47 21 52 9713
Website: http://www.sak.no
Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare
Socialstyrelsen
Linnegaten 87
S-106 30 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 783 3000
Fax: +46 8 783 3420
Website: http://www.socialstyrelsen.se
Thankyou
Wow, the power of social media at it’s best! All this sounds so hopeful. The universe will provide. Xxx
yup
There’s a possibility that she might be looking for her birth parents. If it’s possible to get the DNA kit to the parents might help.
She might also be looking for her birth parents. And might have done so using the DNA kit. If there was a way to get the siblings DNA, that might make it easier to find their sister.
Hmm ok
Please delete one of the comments. I didn’t realize that it was awaiting moderation and commented twice.
Sorry
ok
Hi Lem I have shared with my nephew and his wife who are Swedish living centrally. Good luck with the search. Will also send to Danish friends who have friends in both countries . It’s a small world sometimes.
Thankyou
Was just thinking Lem they have so much information about their sister. What happens if she doesn’t want to be found? Will you be the contact who passes this on?
Yes. The complication starts when the bridge is built and the people from each side walk towards each other .
So we are building bridges. That’s all.
Hello. Found this name and info in Germany, maybe its worth looking in to? Fingers crossed!! Informationen über Dr. med. Susann Jordan, Kaltenkirchen
Praxis Dr.med. Susann Jordan Fachärztin für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe
Brauerstr. 1-3
24568 Kaltenkirchen
Schleswig-Holstein
Deutschland
Telefon: 04191/2829
Homepage noch nicht hinterlegt
Thankyou
What a compelling story, however it seems like finding Suzan is very possible! I haven an (Ethiopian) uncle who is a doctor in Sweden. I have already asked him to ask around. Will let you know what I find!
AIDA. Thankyou. Thankyou.
This may have been suggested already, but just in case.
https://www.figo.org/societies/svensk-förening-för-obstetrik-gynekologi-swedish-society-obstetrics-and-gynecology
Medicine is such a large field it might narrow it down.
Another suggestion is there an equivalent show to Long Family in Sweden, I know there is a US version? Or do you have any links to Nicky Campbell who would appropriate contacts?
thankyou