Burgess Hill man in search of mother after being separated at birth in Hong Kong

Tim Adams, 49, from Mill Road, Burgess Hill, was separated from his mother as a baby in Hong Kong and later moved to England with his adoptive parents.

Tim said: “I’ve thought about it and imagined meeting my mother, but I don’t even know if she’s alive.

“If I don’t find out now I never will.”

“I imagine I would hug her. If I could say one thing it would be ‘mum, I love you’.

“I’ve never had an opportunity to say that before.

“It may sound strange as I’ve never met her, but you don’t have to meet someone to know you love them.”

He believes as he was born out of wedlock his mother would have been pressured to give him away, so respects her reasons and has no hard feelings towards her.

A Hong Kongese newspaper called the Apple Daily published his story on Monday to help him find his mother, Pang Kai Shun.

“I’m quite excited, I’m not sure I would be able to hold it all together.

“I just want to face where I belong, it would be some much needed healing.”

Though he is prepared for the worst, Tim is only looking to meet a family member, and says building a relationship would be a bonus.

Tim, who was adopted twice, described a difficult childhood.

“I’ve got a few horror stories, I’ve been through emotional trauma,

“It’s been hard, I‘ve had an affected life,” he explained.

The 49-year-old left home at 15 and spent some time living on the streets.

He continued: “I’ve had years of psychological problems, depression, been in and out of hospital.

“If it wasn’t for the love of my friends I don’t think I would be here.”

He explained why it is so important to find his family.

“If someone has never had an identity it affects them, it leaves a huge hole.

“It leaves you asking what were their talents, their skills, what do they do, look like, walk like, sound like. I want to be able to fill in all the missing pieces.”

Tim’s birth name is Pang Tze Chiu.

“I think partly because I’m mixed race I’ve found it hard to find somewhere in society I fit in.

People take their identity awareness for granted,” he added.

They Apple Daily ran the story on the day of the Full Moon Festival, or Mid Autumn Festival, an annual bank holiday which embraces family reunion.

Tim continued: “People travel back to Hong Kong and to China to be with their families, it’s about new beginnings.

“The papers are saying, ‘go and find her’, it’s an amazing thing to read and it’s gathering momentum,” Tim added.

Since the campaign Tim has had messages of support from all over the world, including England, Hong Kong, France and America.

He will travel to Hong Kong if a connection is made.

Do you have a story you want to share with our readers? Email [email protected] or call the newsdesk.