Luke Thompson, 16, was put up for adoption as a baby in 2007 by his biological mum who wanted a better life for him.

For three years Olga Lopez desperately searched for her baby daughter who was snatched from her home in Guatemala, until her face appeared in government paperwork for an international adoption.

Moment adopted US woman, 23, meets her birth mother for first time in rural Guatemala and tells her: 'I love you so much'

Gemma Givens was adopted from Guatemala in 1990 when she was 4 months old. As Gemma grew older, her search for her birth mother would reveal the corrupt business of intercountry adoption and inspire Gemma to create an international community of Guatemalan adoptees, Next Generation Guatemala.

Desde 1977 hasta 2007, las adopciones en Guatemala fueron privatizadas y el país se convirtió en el tercer exportador de bebés, solo después de China y Rusia, con muchos casos de robos de niños. Next Generation es un grupo que espera traer luz a esos casos y ayudar a quienes buscan la verdad sobre sus propios orígenes biológicos.

Scattered across the United States are more than 29,000 young people born in Guatemala and adopted by U.S. families before that troubled Central American nation shut down international adoption in 2008 amid allegations of rampant corruption and baby-selling.

DeSales sophomore Cara Shaver, who started life in a Guatamalan orphanage, has been honored by Soroptimist International for her work in raising funds to help children who still are there.

SANTA CRUZ, CA - At 3 months old, Gemma Givens was adopted by a Californian family through the Guatemalan foster care system. Twenty-three years later, Givens has returned to her birthplace to build a relationship with her long-lost brother.

NEW YORK, NY - Today, as adoptees come of age, many want to know about their birth mother and why she gave them up and wonder about the murky circumstances of adoption. Some have traveled to Guatemala to investigate.

Like many American boys, James Boyle has always wanted to become an Eagle Scout. The 16-year-old Cathedral High School sophomore took a step forward toward that goal Sunday, with an event to raise money to buy special stoves for people in his native Guatemala.

She recently traveled to Guatemala to meet her biological family. Finally, Pilar opened the door and walked down a path that led to her past.

The 16-year-old Cathedral High School sophomore took a step forward toward that goal Sunday, with an event to raise money to buy special stoves for people in his native Guatemala.