By XAVIER SMERDON
KIM Wood reached for her husband John’s hand to stop it from shaking.
Almost 58 years ago John Wood was forcibly taken from his mother at just one day old and adopted out to a family of strangers.
Now everything he knows about himself and his family is followed quickly with the phrase “so they tell me”.
It was not until he was 32-years-old that he found out his real name was Raymond Ray.
The Werribee South grandfather was first told he was adopted by a family friend when he was five-years-old, which started a lifelong search for answers, most of which have still never been uncovered.
Last year the Federal Government apologised unreservedly to victims of forced adoptions, which took place from 1930 to 1982.
But Mr Good said the apology had been more like a slap in the face.
“It stirred up all these emotions in me again,” Mr Good said.
“It may be a very endearing product for people who have been battling this, but to have a heap of politicians saying sorry and not putting any action behind it…”
All Mr Good walked away with was a DVD and a lapel badge to mark the occasion.
He is now calling on the Federal Government to provide all documents relating to adoptions and family history free to victims of forced adoptions.
At the moment they are given a basic bundle of documents which cover the date of their adoption and their mother’s name.
Every other document costs more than $20 and up to $98.
Mr Good previously paid for every document he could find that related to his family but then lost them all in the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
“People have no idea of what it’s like to have 50 years of pain,” he said.
“Unless you’ve been there, no one can understand the pain.
“You need to know who you are.”
Star contacted the office of the Federal Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin, for comment but they did not respond.
