The combination of a high school controversy, a distinctive birthmark and a Myspace.com page led Courtney Buhler to reunite with her biological family after a 19 year separation. “As long as I can remember, since I was about four or five, I’ve always known I was adopted,” Buhler says.

Although she has always been curious about her birth family, Buhler explains there are adoption rules prohibiting both parents and their adopted children from searching for each other until the son or daughter is 18 years old.

Soon after Buhler’s 18th birthday, she was ready to begin the hunt for her birth parents.

“I told my mom and dad I wanted to search for my biological parents,” Buhler says. “They contacted the attorneys who had handled the case, but in the post-Katrina environment, the response was slow.”

What Buhler did not know was a few months before her birthday, while she was still a senior at Bishop Sullivan High School, TV cameras recorded her during a high school controversy. Buhler later learned it was on this day her biological father saw her on television, recognizing her distinctive birthmark. Buhler’s biological father pointed her out to her younger brother, Cameron. Knowing his sister’s school’s name, he was able to later search for her on Myspace.com.

During Buhler’s first year of college, she received a Myspace.com friend request from a 16- year-old boy named Cameron, but unaware of whom he was, she rejected him.

“If only he would have told me who he was, maybe I would not have denied my own brother as a friend,” Buhler says.

About a month later, Buhler says she checked her Myspace.com account again.

“I received a message from an excited lady who claimed to be my aunt, explaining I have a whole family that loves me very much and is ready to meet me when I’m ready,” Buhler says.

Buhler says she was very excited but was in a state of disbelief.

“I told my mother first, and together we broke the news to dad,” she says.

“Dad seemed to be more shocked that I had a Myspace.com account than that I had found my family, but he immediately began looking into the matter,” Buhler says with a smile.

After several phone calls, Buhler’s father was in contact with her biological mother. He had only one question to ask, to which only her biological parents would know the answer.

“My dad asked Michelle what my birth name was, and before he could finish asking the question, she quickly replied, ‘Christina Lynn,'” Buhler says.

The following day, Buhler spoke with her mother for the first time.

“We were going to wait until after my vacation to meet, but we were too impatient and agreed to meet sooner,” Buhler says.

Buhler remembers that long-awaited moment very clearly.

“I always thought I’d be more emotional on that day,” Buhler says. “I felt like I should be crying, but couldn’t bring out tears. I just remember thinking how beautiful she was.”

Meeting her mother has answered so many questions most people take for granted.

“I’ve always wondered why I sneeze in sets of threes, unlike anyone in my adoptive family, but I found out that my entire biological family does it too,” Buhler says.

Buhler says she never imagined when she created a Myspace.com account it would link her and her birth family together.

“It would have cost at least $500 to initiate the search through the attorneys, but with the help of Myspace.com and a little luck, it was absolutely free,” Buhler says.