AN Irishwoman who gave birth in a Mother and Baby Home wants to end the silence of mothers who experienced forced adoption.

Bridget Donnelly became pregnant while training as a nurse in London in the 1970s.

Her baby girl was given up for adoption and Bridget later moved to Australia to forge a better life for herself.

However, she never forgot her firstborn, even though her existence remained a secret for much of the next 40 years.

Thankfully, unlike so many others, Bridget’s story had a happy ending, as her daughter Reynagh tracked her down and the pair were reunited.

And now her son Daniel has brought her story into the public eye with a new book, Bye Baby.

Daniel, who lives in Perth, explained: “I was aware that I had a sister and she had come over here quite a few years back, but mum’s experience and what she went through was something I didn’t know anything about.

“So many of these unmarried mothers went through the same thing.

“It’s something she hadn’t really spoken about for more than 40 years.”

Daniel’s heartrending book documents his mother’s loneliness and fear as she prepared to give birth.

She recalled: “We were classed as scum really. I have never let go of the guilt. I have never shared it with anybody. I was sent to the Mother and Baby Home in Epping. I was petrified going there.

“Nobody ever spoke about looking forward to having a baby.

“I wasn’t aware that I was going into labour because we hadn’t a clue what to expect. We were never told anything.

“It should have been a joyful time. There was no joy and no congratulations.”

After Reynagh was born, Bridget spent six precious weeks bonding with her before she was forced to give her up.

She explained: “I did say to the adoptive mother, when it was final goodbye, “tell her I love her and I didn’t give her away because I didn’t love her”.

Bridget then moved Down Under where she met and married a fellow Irish expat and went on to have three more children.

Years later, her dreams came true when Reynagh made contact, and they began building a relationship.

Yet Bridget still carried a sense of shame and guilt about the circumstances of her daughter’s birth.

Two years ago, the 68-year-old decided it was time to speak out by sharing her story in words, so she asked her son to document it. Daniel revealed: “I was hesitant about the emotional impact it might have on her. It was really difficult throughout the process and I was worried about her.

“She said she needed to do this for her healing.”

He added: “Even now, I feel like I don’t understand her pain, but I’m aware of it. I was a bit ashamed to say I wasn’t really aware of this part of history.

“We did a few videos about her story and, when we shared them online, the response was incredible.

“So many people have gotten in contact saying that they’ve a mother or grandmother who went through something similar.”

Both Bridget and Daniel hope the story will resonate with people everywhere who’ve been affected by the grim history of forced adoptions from Mother and Baby Homes.

Daniel said: “More than anything, this is a message to unmarried mothers who had similar experiences, that there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

“Even if they still feel a sense of guilt, they should be proud of the fact that they brought a child into the world, which is the greatest gift.

“There are people who want unmarried mothers to stay silent because it suits their agenda and protects the reputation of their family name but women should not feel silenced any more.”

Bye Baby is available on Amazon and on Byebabybook.com.