Rosie O'Donnell Says She 'Was In Tears' Over THIS Request By Daughter Dakota

Comedienne and actress Rosie O'Donnell shared one of her most emotional experiences with her 9-year-old daughter, Dakota. O'Donnell revealed that Dakota, who was officially diagnosed with autism in 2016, once requested to speak with her birth mother.

The comedian shared Dakota's experience talking to her birth mom and said it was an intense, emotional experience. O'Donnell also spoke about her journey raising Dakota and described her as "endlessly curious." She also has four other kids, Parker, Chelsea, Blake, and Vivienne.

O'Donnell also said that Dakota's autism has made her life better in many unexpected ways and allowed her to see the world with new eyes. In her essay to People, O'Donnell also said she found the perfect school in Los Angeles to help Dakota read and learn at her grade level. 

Read on to find out more.

In her essay for People, O'Donnell wrote about her journey raising Dakota and revealed that Dakota had once asked to speak with her birth mother. O'Donnell said that Dakota asked to speak to "the lady whose tummy I was in."

Dakota received her autism diagnosis after she turned two in 2016. In the essay, O'Donnell wrote that Dakota eventually spoke to her biological mother while they were on a FaceTime call. She also said it was an emotional experience that had both mothers in tears.

O'Donnell wrote, "We're in contact, so Dakota gets on FaceTime and says, 'Are you the lady whose tummy I was in? I just wanted you to know I'm the kid that was in there, and when I got born, my mommy held me and I squeezed her pinkie, and I am with her. So I just want to let you know that's what happened to me. Bye.'"

O'Donnell has four other kids aside from Dakota, Parker, Chelsea, Blake, and Vivienne. In her essay, the TV personality also wrote about the adoption experience and said she thinks "about the birth mothers every day."

She shared, "I think about the generosity of human spirit that allows someone who knows they're not able at the moment to be a mom to this baby, give that baby all [they] deserve. To place that child in the loving arms of a stranger."

O'Donnell called it the "biggest act of generosity" that a human can do and said she'd benefited greatly from "their selflessness." She wrote, "Nothing in my life ever compares to the five kids and nothing, no reward you ever win, no amount of money you ever get, can replace the love of family, and of a parent and a child."

O'Donnell also wrote about how Dakota's autism has positively enriched her life in many ways she never expected. She said it has forced her "to see the world from a completely different place." The actress also described Dakota as "a gift from another dimension."

She continued, "The things she knows — about sea anemones and tide pools. I got to 60 not knowing about the Mariana Trench. Now I know all about it! Her ability to absorb information is unparalleled. I can imagine her winning on Jeopardy! Someday."

O'Donnell also said that Dakota teaches her to do different things and to "see the world as she does." She said that growing up with her daughter has "been a wonderfully magical experience. I'm so glad we have each other."

In the essay, O'Donnell also said that Dakota is an "endlessly curious" child, so she tried her best to "enable her to learn in the way that her brain was set up to learn." The comedian said she knew education would be a big part of establishing Dakota's self-esteem, so she found a good school for her.

O'Donnell said the school has been great and helped Dakota learn how to read at her level. She wrote, "They have all kinds of neurodivergent kids and special-needs learners. It's a beautiful melting pot."