GREENFIELD — The last time Greenfield resident Donna Gilchrest saw her daughter was in 1973, when she gave her up for adoption at 2 days old.
Forty-six years later, Gilchrest and her daughter, Robyn Goldstein, of Pittsburgh, Pa., reunited in person at Gilchrest’s apartment on Sept. 1.
The two not only share DNA, but are also both cancer survivors. Gilchrest had lung cancer and Goldstein had oral cancer.
One of the catalyst’s for Gilchrest meeting her daughter was confronting her mortality.
“I had smoked for 43 years and I quit in 2013. Then I got lung cancer in 2018,” Gilchrest said. “The doctors caught it and I had surgery removing a section of my lung, and I recovered well. I thought for a while I was doomed, so I made it a point to see my grandchildren. It was important to me to meet her.”
Gilchrest said she was 20 years old and living with Goldstein’s biological father when she found out she was pregnant.
“I was a wild child and I wasn’t ready,” Gilchrest said. “He told me I had to choose him or her, and I decided to give her up for adoption. … After I gave her up, he left me anyway.”
A week later, Gilchrest said she went to speak with the lawyer to try to get her daughter back, but was told “nothing could be done.”
In the years following, Gilchrest served in the Army, was honorably discharged, had four more children and found out Goldstein’s biological father died.
Gilchrest and Goldstein connected after Goldstein reached out in a letter sent in 2001. She was able to find her mother online and sent her a letter.
Goldstein said she’s known she was adopted for her whole life.
“My adopted parents always told me I was adopted. I’ve known since I could talk. They never kept it from me,” Goldstein said. “I was curious what she looked like and her personality, and if I had brothers or sisters.”
Gilchrest said she, too, thought about her daughter.
“I think in the back of my head, that’s why I never got married,” Gilchrest said. “I thought it would have been harder for her to find me if I had a different last name. I wondered what her upbringing was like.”
The two kept in touch via social media and decided to meet.
“The timing was perfect,” Gilchrest said. “We may not get the chance to do this again. To me, family is important.”
Goldstein agreed.
“Life is too short, so we decided to do it,” she said. “Plus, my boyfriend wanted to do it for me by taking me to meet her.”
In the moments leading up to her daughter’s arrival, Gilchrest said she felt a variety of emotions.
“I’m nervous, but excited,” she said.
The two met at Gilchrest’s apartment in Greenfield, where Goldstein also met some of her siblings.
“It was great. We could all see the family resemblance,” Goldstein said. “We had a whole lifetime to catch up on since she gave me up for adoption at 2 days old.”
Goldstein said the experience brought her closure.
“It has changed me because now I have more family to get to know, including uncles and aunts and cousins. It was what I expected because we had been in touch for a while,” Goldstein said. “It was kind of a closure finally knowing them. It was also very exciting.”
Reach Melina Bourdeau at mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.