yes or no would suffice. I remember Brian when I started out to do this I managed to track down a person who knew of the family and she informed me my birth mother had died from cancer at the age of 41.  When I spoke to her sister she said it wasn't cancer but a burst peptic ulcer which had been misdiagnosed by her doctor. Sometimes you can open a whole new can of worms when you start digging about your past. Its me again. Just been thinking about your problem in that your relative wont answer your question, I just wondered if you explained this to the hospital and gave them your birth mums name and address of where she lived, wither the hospital might be able to access her medical records themselves. They may not be able to tell you anything even if they can do this because of patient confidentiality. Its a long shot I know but may be worth a try but I don't know what else to try except maybe writing a letter to the relative who is not helping at the moment. She may respond to a letter better than a phone call perhaps. I answer to you query re my cancer support group, I am waiting for the next committee meeting and will keep you posted when I have more info, and thank you for asking.