KTLA's Chris Schauble meets biological mom for first time

Growing up as a the only African American child in an all white family, KTLA Morning News anchor Chris Schauble says his adoption was obvious, but so was the unconditional love of his family.

"My mom is a PhD. My dad, God rest his soul, was a master's degree holder," Schauble says. "They were well-educated people who valued life. In 1970 they decided to adopt, and I was that kid."

Still, at 44 years old, Schauble felt his biological mom and dad were still the missing piece of his personal puzzle.

"What I can remember is we would go to church. There was this beautifully spirited African-American grandmother and whenever we sat by her she treated me with such love. I remember thinking is that how when someone is your biological child, is that what that love feels like?"

It was Schauble's own children who inspired him to start looking for his biological family.

"I don't know my medical history," Schauble says. "I don't know what diseases I may be susceptible to based on their past heritage. So those are dots I think would be important to connect. Not only for me, but for my own children."

Schauble hired a private investigator in hopes of putting all of the pieces together, but finding out who he really is would not be easy. For the first three months of his life he lived in a children's group home in Florida, which as it turns out has some of the most restrictive privacy laws.

That's when Schauble turned to what is called an "adoption angel" who contacted the department of vital statistics. His birth mother was 38 years old and had traveled from a New England state to Florida to give birth to him. It was news he says he was not expecting.

Schauble faced another setback when his private investigator was able to find the lawyer who facilitated his adoption. The lawyer was still practicing, but had no records or recollection of the adoption.

This would not stop him from continuing his search. "I think that helping people is one of the best things about this because at the end of the day I may not find my birth mother or my birth father, but someone else might."

After months of searching and a roller coaster of emotions, Schauble's "adoption angel" told him he had been matched with his birth parents.

His first trip would be to rural Florida, where he met the family of his biological father who passed away in 1995.

Despite not being able to meet his biological father face-to-face, Schauble says he's found beauty in learning about his family history -- including the name of his birth mother, who is just a flight away in Texas.

"My life will never be the same," Schauble says, "and neither will hers."

Startling news at start of Chris' search:

Chris meets his biological family for the first time: