A MOTHER is convinced she has found her missing daughter after a 48-year search.

Barbara Raymond-Waul told News Shopper in May how her baby girl was stolen from her shortly after she give birth to twins at Lambeth Hospital on June 28, 1958.

She says as an unmarried mother she was pressured by a maternity nurse at the hospital to have at least one child adopted.

Then on the way from the delivery room the nurse offered to help and took her children from her.

Later on she was brought her son, John, but never saw her daughter again and has been searching for answers ever since.

Within three months of the story appearing in News Shopper, the 70-year-old received a call from a woman saying she might be her daughter and an emotional meeting took place earlier this month.

She said: "When I received the call, I thought My goodness, this is a breakthrough'.

"She is the first one ever to get in touch with me about being adopted at the same time within the same area as the clinic.

"When we met my heart was pounding. My other daughter, Pearline, was screaming with joy.

"It was very emotional and overwhelming."

On September 5, Mrs Raymond-Waul and the woman are going to have DNA tests at a clinic in Hammersmith to find out the truth.

Mrs Raymond-Waul says she is delighted and is convinced tests are not necessary after hearing the woman's story.

The woman, who wants to remain anonymous until the results of the DNA tests, was hopeful Mrs Raymond-Waul could be her real mother after reading her story.

The 48-year-old brought along a picture of her adoptive mother during the emotional meeting at Mrs Raymond-Waul's home.

Mrs Raymond-Waul says she recognised the woman in the picture as a nurse from a health clinic in Camberwell who persuaded her to take John to a children's centre in the early 1960s.

The great-grandmother, of Batavia Road, New Cross, said: "When I took my son to the clinic the nurse told me my boy was a twin. Now I think How did she know?' "She told me my boy was going to suffer because he was a twin and needed to be around children of his age.

"She then recommended I take him to a home in Lancing, West Sussex, to integrate with other children.

"I was shocked when I saw the picture of her adoptive mother as it was the nurse from the clinic.

"Her adoptive mother had said to her she was a twin and they were going to take her to see a little boy.

"She told me she could remember shaking a little boy's hand.

"I'm so excited about this news. I don't even feel like I have to go for a DNA test."

Unfortunately, Mrs Raymond-Waul's husband Lorel, who was distraught about never finding his daughter, died in 1979.

Mrs Raymond-Waul says the woman's adoptive parents, who have now died, had told her she was adopted at an early age.

She said: "She was very traumatised. She has been looking for her real parents all her life.

"That's why she doesn't want to go public yet."

She added: "Her adoptive mother didn't tell her anything at all about her past.

"But when she saw John there was a connection. They have a similar nose and mouth and the way they speak is so familiar.

"I still think to this day everybody knew something about my missing baby at the hospital and the clinic.

"Some things just need to be let out in life. I'm delighted. I hope and pray she is the one."

  • The results of the DNA test are due by September 13.