MINNEAPOLIS — In the five months since Minnesota's new adoption law took effect, 2,800 Minnesotans have requested an original copy of their birth certificate, impacting countless others in the process.
A look back
When Tavaris McIntyre became a dad for the first time this summer, he knew it was time to reopen a part of his life that he'd kept hidden for much of his life.
"This is the book my foster parents made for me," Tavaris said, pulling out a red photo album containing the only evidence he has ever had of his birth parents. "I was taken away pretty much immediately."
Tavaris was born with drugs in his system, a fact reinforced by a newspaper clipping tucked into the pages of that album.
"It's the matter of termination of parental rights... for me," he said. "I was told that (my parents) were addicts and that they had lost all rights to all of their children."
Tavaris has always known he has brothers, thanks to that album, which featured a couple of family photos from a supervised visit with his birth parents.
A few months later he was adopted, and because he grew up in a loving family, he seldom chose to look back.
"Growing up, being adopted, especially by a white family, experiencing like bullying and discrimination and stuff, this really wasn't something I wanted to show people," Tavaris said, holding that album.
"Even when we started dating, he was very protective of the album," said Tatyanna McIntyre, Tavaris' wife.
A search for answers
While the birth of his son changed Tavaris' outlook, Minnesota's new birth records law went into effect around the same time, he decided to see what he could find.
"Just kind of decided to go for it, submitted the application and decided to do some research," Tavaris said.
Information from his original birth record, including the full names and addresses for his birth parents, helped the couple expand their search online.
"I went digging on Facebook, doing detective work of course, and we came across photos of this individual," Tatyanna said, showing a Facebook photo of a man that bears a resemblance to Tavaris. "I was just like, this is crazy. He has a lot of the same features."
"I sent him a message," Tavaris said, holding up his phone. "I said, 'Hey, we might be related.' I told him that I don't want any money or anything, and then I sent him a family picture, and a picture of me and my mom."
A few days after sending that Facebook message, Tavaris received a response that he never expected.
"I've been looking for you my whole life!!!!
I'm your big bro Cash"
Cash enters the picture
Because the Facebook message didn't come from a friend, Cashmere Hagbourne says it took a few days before he found it.
"Once I did my jaw just dropped," said Cashmere, who goes by Cash. "I don't know what I did. I was just like, 'What?!'"
He took one look at the photos, and Tavaris' first name, and realized he was about to connect with a brother he knew about, but had never met.
"I remember being young and seeing this photo, in particular, of Tavaris," Cash said, pulling out a baby photo of Tavaris from a box of old photos. "I knew he existed, I just didn't know where he was at, along with all my other brothers."
Because Cash is seven years older, he was out of the picture before Tavaris was born, and those birth family photos were taken.
"I always assumed that this is my family," Tavaris said, looking back at that photo from his first few weeks of life. "Now it's like, 'Oh my gosh! I have an older brother that I didn't even know was out there."
From family to foster care
Cash was born in Chicago and he's grateful Tavaris' birth story doesn't resemble his own.
"My grandparents adopted me and I'm not sure why because they treated me like crap," he said. "Being starved, beat, locked in basements, locked in attics. That's how I grew up, and so I don't know if you want to call that family."
After years of abuse and several moves to different states, he says he finally found a way out.
"I called the child protection agency on my grandparents, and it took about seven times before they finally believed me," he said. "From there, I essentially placed myself in foster care."
Though he was never adopted, Tavaris says foster parents and friends eventually helped him find himself.
He attended college at the University of Minnesota - Duluth, and would go on to work at the Family Freedom Center after graduate school.
"This is our music studio," Cash said, giving KARE11 a tour of the space where he helps young people find their own path. "I guess it fills my heart."
"A little piece of my heart came back."
A few weeks after connecting on social media, Tavaris and Cash met near Duluth and immediately began making up for lost time.
"It just changed my way of thinking," Tavaris said. "I feel very, very lucky and blessed that my situation turned out the way that it did because Cash's story was very heartbreaking. But he didn't let all of that stop him."
"I felt happy for him because he didn't have to grow up the way I did," Cash said. "Now I can be his cheerleader. Cheer him on. Make sure he's doing great. Make sure my nephew is doing great. A little piece of my heart came back."
And it's not going anywhere.
The brothers have now met several times, and plan to continue their growing their relationship.
"I'm lucky to be alive, I'm lucky that this guy is alive, I get to see this guy over here," Cash said.
Tavaris didn't get a chance to see his birth parents before they died, but thanks to Cash - who did reconcile with his parents several years ago - he sees them in a new light.
"Being older and more mature, it's allowed me to forgive my parents," Tavaris said.
"They didn't have much parenting growing up themselves," Cash said. "And then drugs and prison and the support that they didn't have... they didn't have a fighting chance."
Both brothers say they're thankful they now have a chance to forge their own relationship, thanks to a few photos and a big law change.
"This is one of the most important things that's ever happened to me in my whole life," Tavaris said. "By sharing my story I hope that more people are willing to get their original birth certificates and are able to connect with family."
If you'd like to learn more about Minnesota's law change and what it means for adoptees and birth parents, click here.