A Heartfelt Journey of Family and Adoption
Sue Radford, the mother of Britain’s largest family, has shared a deeply emotional story about her decision not to search for her birth mother. Her journey with adoption and loss has shaped her views on family, love, and the importance of the parents who raised her.
Sue, 50, lives in Morecambe with her husband Noel and their 22 children. She was adopted as a child and has never felt the need to find out about her birth parents. This stance was reinforced after the tragic stillbirth of her 17th child, Alfie, in July 2014. The experience left Sue with a strong sense of commitment to her adoptive family and a deep understanding of what it means to be a parent.
In an emotional episode of 22 Kids and Counting, Sue reflected on how losing Alfie changed her perspective on adoption. She said:
“I can’t put myself in my birth mother’s position because I would never give a child up. As a mother, you have that child inside you for nine months, you grow that child, then you give birth to that child. For me, I just could never imagine ever giving that child over.”
The loss of Alfie made Sue more resolute in her decision not to search for her birth parents. She explained:
“I didn’t feel quite so strongly about not ever finding my birth parents until we did go through the loss of losing Alfie. When you do lose a child, you don’t have that option, you don’t have that option to give the child away for adoption. The choice was taken away from you because that child is gone.”
Despite her strong feelings, Sue acknowledges that her husband Noel has a different view. Noel, who was also adopted, recently met his biological mother for the first time after a two-year search. He admitted the experience was emotional but clarified that he will always consider his adoptive parents as his true parents.
Sue shared that their differing opinions have led to some disagreements. She said:
“It has caused a few disagreements with me and Noel. We both have very different opinions about our birth parents. Noel has always been the person whose adoption has always bothered him. He really has found the need to know more, but for me, I’ve always been the total opposite. I’ve never felt the need to ever do that.”
However, she insists she has never stood in Noel’s way. She said:
“Because he feels very strongly about doing this, then he has to do it regardless of what I think about finding my birth parents. But it has been quite difficult for me.”
Noel spoke about his meeting with his birth mother, describing it as an emotional experience. He added:
“For me, my mum and dad are my mum and dad. She gave birth to me – but that’s it. My mum (who sadly died five years ago) was always very open. I could ask her anything, she wouldn’t judge you, she would give you her honest opinion.”
He also expressed gratitude towards Sue for supporting him through the process.
During the new series of 22 Kids and Counting, adoption expert Glesni Evans highlighted the unique nature of Sue and Noel’s situation. She said:
“Noel and Sue’s situation is very unique. I have never had a situation where both people were adopted and one wants to search for their birth family and the other doesn’t. I can imagine it can be quite challenging.”
The Radford family includes 22 children: Chris, Sophie, Chloe, Jack, Daniel, Luke, Millie, Katie, James, Ellie, Aimee, Josh, Max, Tillie, Oscar, Casper, Hallie, Phoebe, Archie, Bonnie, and Heidie. Tragically, their 17th child, Alfie, was stillborn in 2014.
The new series of 22 Kids & Counting continues to explore the challenges and joys of raising such a large family. The episode featuring Noel’s search for his birth mother will air on Sunday, 20th July at 8pm. Viewers can watch or stream the programme on 5.
