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| Monday, 16 December 2002 |
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by Ananda Kannangara An emotional story of an 18-year-old Sri Lankan girl - Saroja Sinnathamby - who is being adopted by her foster parents Mr. and Mrs. Willibrordus B.M van der Eerden has been reported from Vossenlagselaan 36, 5171 C.D Kaatsheuvet, Netherlands. The girl from Malwella, Ratnapura was renamed by her foster parents 18 years ago as Debora Saroja Maria van der Eerden. Sinnathamby Paramila Kanthie of Malwella Ratnapura is the actual mother of Saroja. According to Mrs. Eerden, they received information of this week- old infant from an official at the Ratnapura General Hospital in 1984. The couple was holidaying in Sri Lanka during this period and they were in Ratnapura in search of gems with a group Sri Lankan friends. "We took the infant to our custody under the laws in your country and all the documents including a letter given by hospital authorities and the Register of Birth are with us now", Mrs. Eerden told the Daily News over the phone. She said for the first time after 18 years they would visit Sri Lanka on December 21 with their daughter Saroja to trace the whereabouts of her mother Sinnathamby Paramila Kanthi. "The most important Adoption of Children Ordinance, issued by the District Court of Colombo dated February 13, 1984 is also under our custody", she said. However the copies of all the letters alongwith two photographs of the mother and her week-old infant Saroja, taken at the Ratnapura hospital in 1984 were sent to Lake House by Mrs. Eerden through a Sri Lankan friend of them. Mrs. Eerden said that the girl is now anxiously awaiting to see her mother but she is unaware of her father. The Eerdens who are running a private nursing home said that the girl is now pursuing higher studies in the Netherlands. If anybody knows of the whereabouts of the mother of this girl they could contact either the Daily News Editorial or a close Sri Lankan friend of the couple Mr. Jagath Udaya Kumara on 01-255784. |
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