My best friend decided, when her beloved adoptive mother died, to find her birth mother.
She has subsequently gained a whole, loving family of half-sisters and their offspring.
The mother though was cool and didn't really take to her first daughter popping up. Her 2nd husband has loved her from the first. He's a great character, 90 and still droving.
Another friend asked me to trace her husband's family as he had no knowledge of his background other than that his father brought him from England to NZ as a 4 year old after his mother died.
He was now almost 40. His father was dead.
I found his Mum in the UK, she wasn't dead and I asked him if he wanted to continue but my rule was, if she doesn't want contact, you have to accept that.
She broke down when I phoned her and told me her little boy had been snatched by her husband and she'd never known where he was. She had often tried to locate him but it had never occurred to her he was overseas.
She'd married again and had 3 children and they flew out to NZ for a reunion. It was a very happy meeting but of course they had to go back and now keep in touch via technology.
So two positives.
Best of luck b1zzle I hope it works out as well for you.