Damion Courie - Contributed

A man who claims he is uncertain of his real name or his correct age is seeking the public's help in finding his parents or any family he may have.

Speaking with THE STAR recently, the man, who according to his birth certificate is Damion Courie, said, "From a younger age, about two or three, in about 1992 I just found myself on the roadside. A lady saw mi and she took mi to her house. She kept mi for a day or two then she took mi to the police station. About three days later I was taken to the Maxfield Park Children's Home."

According to Courie, he does not know which police station he was taken to and whether or not a report was made.

"I don't remember one heavenly thing," he expressed.

He, however, recalls that a few days after he was taken to the children's home he was adopted.

"At the moment, I am 22, next year I am 23 but I am not certain that this is my real age," he said.

The birth certificate issued by the Registrar General's Department (RGD) states that Courie was born on February 22, 1989 and that his mother and father are unknown.

When THE STAR inspected the certificate it revealed that it was issued on July 21, 2003. It also suggested that Claudette Moore of a King Street, Kingston, address was the person who had charge of Courie.

Interestingly, Courie claims that he has never met that person.

He reasoned, "I heard that the last name I have must be from the officer (police) who tried to assist me. I don't know how they arrived at my first name. I just use what I have now as my identity."

He explained to THE STAR that he has had a very tumultuous journey in life. At age 14, he says he was thrown out by his adopted father following an altercation between them.

Subsequently, an elderly woman took him in and gave him a room at her home. He said that while there he went on to St Georges College and attained four CXC subjects.

Courie says that finding his parents would mean a great deal to him because, "I'm about to have a child of my own and it would look funny to have a child and that child don't know their grandparents. Me myself want to know how my father and my mother look."

When contacted, a representative from the RGD explained that cases like Courie's would usually come through the Child Development Agency (CDA) if it was reported to the police.

"The CDA would have had him as an abandoned child, they would have known where he was taken from," she said.

As it relates to the date of birth, it was noted that a case file would have been prepared by the CDA for the child to get the birth certificate.

Furthermore, the representative said that the King Street address listed as that of the informant on Courie's birth certificate is that of the Ministry of Health.

Anyone who can identify Damion Courie and knows the whereabouts of his parents or any family member can call 890-8230.