A secret note led this girl to her birth parents in China

Kati Pohler was just three days old when she was left at a market in China, where she was found by child services and later adopted by an American family.

A note from her biological birth parents was left with her, apologising for leaving her.

It also said something else.

Because of poverty and other problems, we had no choice but to abandon our little girl on the street.

If you have sympathy for us as parents, please meet us on the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou in the morning of Chinese lunar date 7 July in 10 or 20 years’ time.

An innocuous conversation in a car with Pohler’s adoptive mum led to the rediscovery of the note, and the 20-year-old decided to travel to China to meet her biological parents, Xu Lida and Fenxiang, BBCreports.

In October 2015, China decided to end its decades-long one-child-policy to two children. Those who had been found to have more than one child could be met with hefty fines and even forced abortions and sterilisation.

Xu Lida, her biological father told BBC that he went to the Bridge every year since 2004 in the hopes of meeting her.

Xu Lida, Kati's biological father (Picture: BBC/screengrab)

I would’ve felt so sorry if we had aborted her. I thought that even if we couldn’t afford to raise her, we could give her away.

On the morning of the third day after she was born, I prepared her milk, I held her and hugged her for a while.

Then I walked to the market.

She didn’t cry. She was asleep.

I kissed her gently. I knew it was the final farewell.

Her adoptive parents are happy that Kati can have a “sense of peace and contentment”, after meeting her biological parents.

Kati said:

It was definitely fulfilling. The love is almost overwhelming.

Kati (middle) with her biological parents (Picture: BBC/screengrab)

I know my adoptive parents love me, and now I have this whole other love that I never knew existed but I guess was always there.

You can watch Kati's entire journey, called Meet Me On The Bridge on BBC Stories.

HT BBC

More: These intimate photos capture the joy of adoption

More: 9 incredible examples of people helping others in Hurricane Irma