Biliana Graves Bartlett arrived with her husband and her adoptive mother in a Vidin village
Biliana Graves Bartlett was 2 years old when she was adopted by an American family from a children’s home in Vidin. The Roma girl is 27 years old today and has fulfilled the American dream – she has 2 children, a loving husband with a prestigious profession and a house like a magazine cover. She herself tells the story of her life on the social platform “Tik Tok”. The young woman filmed her visit to Bulgaria and the first meeting with her biological family and relatives.
When you look at Bilyana, you’d be mistaken for a professional model – perfectly styled hair, sparkling white and tidy teeth and a figure sculpted like a statuette. You would hardly guess that it is
biological child of a Roma family,
who today lives in a Vidin village. Her exotic beauty would lead you to think that she has Latin features. Her American accent really adds to the magical aura that floats around her, and she almost looks like a Cinderella character. The events in her life are so incredible that even the most unbelieving person would be inclined to admit that there is no way to escape your destiny – wherever you are born.
At the age of 16, she got together with her current husband – Blake, who is 3 years older than her. They meet on a blind date and their love ignites immediately. They get engaged and married in the same year because they understand that
are expecting their first child
Bilyana gave birth at the age of 19 to a son named Eli Michael. At the same time, the two young parents are still studying at college and graduating successfully, combining lectures with taking care of the child. Her husband started a well-paying job after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Memphis. 5 years later – in 2015, the two built their dream house in Millington – a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, part of the Memphis metropolitan area. Bilyana captures in her videos the impeccable interior of her home and every step of its construction. High ceilings, designer furniture in light tones and spaciousness – all this, combined with a large kitchen, a veranda and a yard with a beautiful view.
Shortly after they move in, life presents her with another gift. She finds out she is pregnant again and in 2021 their daughter Emelia Lynn is born. Their life is a series of happy moments and many journeys. She and Blake love visiting new destinations together. All these years, however, Bilyana longs to meet her biological family. Her adoptive parents
they never hid from her its true origin
and they have given her the opportunity to seek out the people into whose family she was born. The only thing she knows about herself is that she was taken from Bulgaria, as well as the children’s home where she was left. The research takes quite some time until one day he finds the exact names of his mother and father. She contacted them and together with her husband they arrived in Bulgaria to meet. They were accompanied by her adoptive mother, whom she always called “the best mother in the world”. Bilyana also has a particularly strong relationship with her American grandparents. He talks about them on his Instagram profile and describes them as his most favorite people.
The three landed at Sofia Airport and took a bus from the Central Station to the Danube city. A touching video reflects the first meeting at the bus station in Vidin. Her father gives her a hearty hug the moment he sees her. Her biological mother is waiting for her in the yard of her father’s house. The Roma family leads a modest life in the village. They live in a two-story old house and grow fruits and vegetables. Bilyana walks through the door with a large backpack on her back, and her mother cries aloud as she hugs her for the first time.
Despite the huge contrast between the life she leads in America and the one she faces here, Bilyana accepts meeting her real parents with unadulterated love. She is dressed in a casual sports outfit and slippers so as not to stand out too much in the surroundings. What she finds here doesn’t seem to startle her. Completely
it is prepared about cultural differences,
which he will face. She even brought them an album of her childhood photos that were taken after the adoption. She didn’t forget to take gifts. She and her mother took side-by-side pictures of their palms to note the similarity due to genes. Although she was abandoned as a small child, Bilyana does not hold a grudge. She even says that her biological mother loves her very much and she can feel it.
You might wonder what language they speak. Bilyana herself thought about this case before she left for Bulgaria. So she downloads an app that translates her words and those of her parents into motion. Although with small translation errors, the program manages to convey almost exactly what they want to say.
The first place her father takes her is the Danube River. He explains to her the name of this river, speaking on the phone, which at the same time translates into English. “You are a goddess,” he tells her proudly. And Bilyana is touched by the compliment about her appearance. They also take her to the hospital where she cried for the first time – Sveta Petka Hospital. She asks if her mother gave birth to her with some kind of anesthesia. She is shocked when she realizes that she was born
without any anesthesia
As soon as he understands that at that time epidural anesthesia (type of anesthesia for normal childbirth – b.a.) she has not used herself, notes that it is extremely painful and cannot believe what she is hearing.
After the visit to the maternity hospital, they take her to the shelter where they left her as a baby. During all this time, her adoptive mother accompanied them. After a long day, they are treated to tripe soup at a local pub. They take a long walk in the park and her father hugs her as if they were never apart. Bilyana shows them funny videos of her two children and their grandchildren. He hopes that they will meet someday. The girl also managed to meet her biological brother and nephews. Teaches young children English. After a visit of several days, she sealed the experience with a photo that she shared on Tiktok, with the caption “My heart is whole”. The shot shows the whole family standing in front of the outside steps of the farmhouse.
“A little update for all those wondering! These are my sweet biological parents who welcomed me with open arms. It took me 25 years and 28 hours of travel to finally hug them for the first time, but the wait was worth it because I saw and felt their love for me and it is undeniable. They answered so many questions, treated us well and went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. I can’t wait to go back soon to see them again! You already mean the world to me,” she wrote.
After telling the story on tiktok, many people initially thought she was Romanian. However, she hurries to clarify that her parents are Bulgarian and she is gaining more and more followers in our country every day. There are many questions
is she roma
She does not take offense to tactless innuendos and responds kindly to everyone. Her American childhood friends as well as her fellow students wrote dozens of comments expressing their joy that her dream had finally come true. Some people refer to it as the caress of fate, and perhaps it really is. Don’t blame anyone and don’t look for an answer. She is grateful. The relationship between daughter and parents continues even after the visit and the reunited family is often heard from, even though they are separated by 9,000 km and nearly 25 years, which they have yet to catch up on.
