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Sharon Powell is in a hopeful pursuit of finding her biological mother, Gwendolyn Barnes. All she has are stories of her - not even a photograph or other blood relatives. Powell,29, told THE CENTRAL STAR that she was raised by a random lady in whose care she was left.

"My biological mother gave me away to this lady name Mertella Powell at Railway, Frankfield. She said my original name is Sharon Elizabeth Beauford...that's the name she left on the immunisation card.

She neva know the lady. I was born at the Percy Junior Hospital in Spaldings, Manchester. Her name is Gwendolyn Barnes, the lady that gave me away...my mother," Sharon said.

The young woman who works part-time with the ministry of health as a vecor worker, said that she knows nothing about her mother - only the story she was told by the lady who raised her.

"The lady gave me away because har man, or babyfather, was in jail and he got me unwanted. He was about to come from jail and di man seh if him come ketch har and the baby, it won't be pretty. So she just gimmie weh and done. She never returned and I don't know any blood relatives. I don't know anything else.

She use to live in Manchester. That's the only details I have," said, after clarifying the story with Mertella. I just want to build a connection with her or anybody... some sisters, aunties, uncles, even a father, somebody. Right now I'm behind the world and just want to find somebody to accept me."

Mertella Powell recalled the day she met Sharon's mother.

"I am a good Samaritan in Frankfield. This woman was down by the road and she couldn't get any vehicle wid the baby.

So I was watching her all evening. Up in the night, I seh to har she 'yuh not gonna get any vehicle now but I could put you up. She seh alright, she woulda glad fi dat and she stay den leave in the morning. The baby was three months old," she related.

A year later, she made her way back to Mertella, happy that she was able to find her again. After all, this was the lady she wanted to raise her baby.

"Now one September morning, a lady seh a somebody outside want to talk to me. When I come out and look, is the lady wid di baby. She seh 'Ms. Mertella, Ms. Mertella, me glad fi see yuh...Me man a war wid me and a seh me shoulda leave di baby, him will kill me.' A suh she get fi carry di baby come here come leave. She nuh come back or nothing like dat," Mertella said.

She told THE STAR that athough she took the baby, she was expecting Sharon's mother to return at some point.

"Me try search Manchester and nobody couldn't find har," Mertella said.

-R.L.