THE STORY OF ADOPTION: Pages from Patterson’s Book The First Day.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — After Thomasville-born children’s author Cody Patterson’s father, Patrick, was placed for adoption in 1959, he spent the rest of his life wondering who his biological mother was and what her story was. When Patrick passed away in 2014, Cody took it upon himself to finally track down answers to these questions.

In 2019, Cody and his wife adopted their first son at birth, and the search agency Cody was working with to find his grandma picked up a serious lead. Using a list of potential DNA relatives identified through 23andMe as well as state-sanctioned access to birth records, the search agency found his grandma—and she was alive.

“I was stunned when they called. I burst into tears and immediately thought of my dad,” Cody said.

As Cody and his family celebrated, the search agency shared the next steps of the process. Per state law, the agency was permitted to share limited information around closed adoptions, and they found highlighting the birthday of a child placed for adoption as an effective way to start a conversation with a biological family member. The agency then sent Cody’s grandma a generic letter stating they wanted to speak with her about an important event that took place on July 7, 1959—Patrick Patterson’s birthday. If Cody’s grandma was interested in learning more, the search agency was ready to help. If not, that was the end of the process.

Cody soon learned his grandma had received the letter, immediately recognized the date, and she was ready to connect. At that point, the search agency scheduled a phone call to introduce the long-lost relatives and let them decide what was next.

“As my ringtone went off, time seemed to slow to a near standstill…Words simply fail to capture the beauty of the first time I heard my grandma’s voice. It was even better than I imagined: soft, humble, warm and full of love,” Cody shared.

Cody and his grandmother spoke for hours and planned to meet in person. Their first visit was postponed due to the pandemic, but in early 2022, Cody flew to Georgia to meet his grandma for the first time.

“After nearly 63 years, my grandma finally held the legacy of a mother’s loving sacrifice in her arms. We went on to laugh, cry and enjoy the most amazing afternoon. It was an honor to share my dad’s story, walk her through the photos of his life and simply let her know he was loved,” Cody recalled.

Inspired by this experience, Cody wrote and decided to publish his debut children’s book, The First Day, which is a simple and relatable story about the first day experiences we share with our loved ones. The First Day is now available for purchase on the Blue Balloon Books website and everywhere books are sold.

“We all face new experiences with a mix of excitement and nerves. It’s not always what we’re experiencing for the first time that matters but who we share those moments with and how we grow through them together. I’ve certainly experienced some special first days in my life, and finding grandma ranks near the top,” Cody said.