Voices of The Willows

Episode 2: Patty Brasel - Finding the Missing Piece

Episode two of “Voices of The Willows” features Patty Brasel, a baby given up for adoption at The Willows Maternity Sanitarium in Kansas City, Mo. Patty talks with longtime friend and Voices of The Willows podcast host KelLee Parr about her connections to The Willows and her experience reuniting with her parents. Patty’s adoptive grandmother, Nell McEwen, worked in the front office of The Willows. Nell had grown fond of one of the mothers. When Nell’s daughter, Jean, wanted to adopt a little girl, her grandmother knew just the child. “I was my grandmother’s choice,” Patty said. Once she was in her 30s, Patty’s adoptive parents sat with her and told her that, if she wanted, they would do everything in their power to find Patty’s birth mother. She accepted, and after just two phone calls, they were able to locate her birth mother. When she was contacted, Patty’s birth mother, Lou, said she needed to think through meeting her daughter. After not hearing anything, Patty decided to write a letter introducing herself to her mother. Despite the letter being delivered, Patty again received no response. Three years later, Patty wrote her second and last letter. After 10 days of silence, Patty called her. Lou was thrilled to be talking to her. Not only did Patty learn that her parents lived in Wisconsin, but she also had three biological sisters. She was told that the delay in responses was due to her father; he had a hard time with her reaching out because he had accepted that he would never meet Patty. Their second call was later that same day at 5 p.m. When Patty answered the phone, Lou had already pulled out a map, saying that it was just 500 miles to travel to see Patty. One Christmas morning after reuniting with her birth family, Patty crafted a poem about Lou. Her love, admiration and connection to her mother flowed out of her and into the words in the poem. Listen to Finding the Missing Piece, episode two of “Voices of The Willows,” to hear Patty’s poem and learn more about her effort to find her birth family. For more Voices of The Willows, visit www.voicesofthewillows.com [http://www.voicesofthewillows.com]. You can support future episodes of Voices of The Willows at www.voicesofthewillows.com/support [http://www.voicesofthewillows.com/support].

Episode 1: Adoption Hub of America and The Willows Maternity Sanitarium

Established in 1905, The Willows Maternity Sanitarium was started by Edwin and Cora Mae Haworth out of their home in Kansas City. After learning that a family friend’s daughter was unmarried and pregnant, the couple decided to take her in, care for her during pregnancy and then find a home for the child. From here, The Willows Maternity Sanitarium was born. “The Willows was established for the unfortunate young women facing social and moral ostracism,” Edwin shared in a 1929 informational brochure. In 1908, the Haworths moved to 2929 Main Street in a mansion that overlooked downtown Kansas City, and they grew the sanitarium’s reach. Admission was selective, as the Haworths and the nurses wanted to monitor pregnancies as early and closely as possible. This led to the sanitarium being a middle-to-upper-class facility, as they didn’t take in women who didn’t have the finances to stay. The Willows was privately owned and received no federal funds, grants, or philanthropic donations. The money that supported operations came directly from the women who stayed at The Willows during their pregnancy. After the babies were born, costs were completely covered by The Willows until adoption. Over The Willows Maternity Sanitarium’s 64 years in operation, approximately 30,000 babies were born. The philosophy of The Willows was aimed at protecting and preparing young women and their babies from society’s eyes. In the beginning, the hospital was highly secluded. Women were not allowed to leave the sanitarium while pregnant. After Cora Mae’s passing in 1953, her daughter-in-law took over and relaxed the women’s guidelines. They could now travel into town with another resident or with a nurse and visit downtown or the Plaza. The property had more than just the hospital. Shortly after opening in their new building, the Haworths started a nursing school. These nurses in training would help with taking care of the young women and babies. Behind the sanitarium sat multiple Victorian-style homes, which provided additional housing for women and the nurses. The Willows Maternity Sanitarium closed in 1969 and the building no longer stands. A historical marker now sits near the original location at 2911 Main Street. For more Voices of The Willows or to support future episodes, visit voicesofthewillows.com/support/ [http://voicesofthewillows.com/support/].

Introduction to Voices of The Willows

KelLee Parr introduces the new Voices of The Willows podcast featuring stories from adoptees and birth families from The Willows Maternity Sanitarium in Kansas City, Mo.