122 – Deep Rooted Issues Of Shame And Guilt
John called me from Charlotte, NC, but his story starts in Ontario Canada. He shares how he grew up in a strict home and how even though he was mischievous, he didn’t think his actions warranted his unceremonious delivery to boarding school. After decades of dedication to his search, he finally discovered his birth mother’s identity, accidentally uncovered deeply…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode121 – Somebody’s Always Been Watching Over Me
Chris lives in Northern California outside of San Francisco. He shares how he selflessly discovered his adopted brother’s birth mother just in time for them to meet. Chris said he was thankful that at least one of the two brothers had completed their search. When Chris told his parents he launched his own search it…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode120 – Sometimes You Just Have To Let People Go
Veronica, called me from New Orleans, Louisiana. She tells her tale of insensitivity within her adoptive family, even with an adoptive mother who was an adoptee herself. Veronica struggled to conduct a search for her roots after Hurricane Katrina threw everything into upheaval in the Big Easy. When she finally found her birth mother, the woman was apathetic to their connection, turning…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode119 – Refined By Fire
Tezita (te zi TA) called me from Sacramento, CA, but she tells a harrowing story that originates in Ethiopia. Tezita’s adopted family had many other international adoptees, but she was singled out for solitary confinement. She was sent back to her homeland where she thrived mentally in a boarding school away from her adopters. When she returned…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode118 – Those Were The Magic Words
Amy called me from Highland Township, outside of Detroit, Michigan. She described her early years dealing with the insecurities of her adopted mother who defaulted to threats to try to control Amy’s curiosity about her adoption. On her search, she learned that her biological mother had been sent away, the man on her birth certificate…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode117 – Born In June Raised In April
April called me from New York, New York, but her story originated in New England. She is a transracial adoptee whose search took her to a quintessential New England town and the connection to her birth mother’s former home which put April and the woman on the phone that night. But the pain of April’s conception was too much, so the…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode116 – ERROR 404: BIRTHDAY NOT FOUND
Michelle, from North Hollywood, California, is an Asian American, but her specific heritage is unclear, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever fully know where she comes from. There’s no information about her in the year before her adoption, only a note that says “This baby was found…” Michele describes her feelings about being adopted by Asian parents, her…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode115 – Shadows of the Night
DL called me from Manhattan, New York. He talks about his youth in a home with a mother addicted to prescription medications who probably wasn’t fit to adopt. When he moved out at 18, he followed his natural talent to climb his way into the music industry. However his suspicion that his birth mother was alive, contrary to what he was told,…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode114 – My Two Moms
Wendy, from Massachussetts, was adopted through Louise Wise, an agency with a notorious reputation. Separately, the tragic murder of Lisa Steinberg triggered her adoptive mother to give Wendy open permission to find her birth mother to let her know she’s ok. On her search, Wendy found her birth father first, but connecting with her birth mother is…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode113 – I Was Loved Everyday By People I Didn’t Know
Carrie called me from Lynchburg, Virginia. In her journey you’ll hear her talk about the moment she realized she was found, and how she was in contact with her birth parents at the same time one the same day. Carrie talks about two amazing reunions: one where she got to see her birth mother in competition, the…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode112 – My Whole Life Is a Success
Andrew called me from Connecticut after a move from Maryland. He told me that he’s been through a lot in his life. He’s a transracial, international adoptee who grew up in a predominantly white community there in Connecticut. He shares how he strode to overachieve in athletics and performing arts to try to overshadow his brown…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode111 – This Is What I Hoped You’d Be Like
Ginger who lives in Los Angeles, began her reunion journey as a teenager who found her birth mother, saw her picture, emailed her, but never made the leap to meeting the woman. In adulthood Ginger had given birth to twins who emotionally impacted her and reminded her of the story of her own birth shared…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode110 – We’ve Wanted This Our Whole Lives
Jessica is a rare native, born and raised, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She shares how she found her biological relatives through DNA testing despite her best attempts to get information from the Mormon church, an entity focused on global genealogy. Jessica discovered she looks like her birth families and has similar traits to them. But…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episodeOne Foot In Front Of The Other
I planned to bring the show back this week, but the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 have been rough. When you listen to this one, you’ll understand why…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode014 – I Would Not Have Made It Without My Faith
Sara was the baby in her family of four biological half brothers to one another, and one other brother who was also adopted like her just like her. When she hit puberty, a naturally more emotional time in our lives, she lost her grandmother, someone who never made her feel like an adoptee. She found her way…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode008 – She Knew She Had To Do This For Me
Cindy had one sister growing up in a mormon family in Las Vegas. But the two adoptees looked very different: Cindy’s blue eyes and blond hair were in stark contrast with her sister’s olive skin and brown hair. She was a very sick child battling illness throughout her life. She never had a burning desire to…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode055 – I’ve Found My Answers And Fulfillment Helping Other People
Katelyn followed her older adopted sister into rebellion against their adopted mother’s rule. Years later her husband suggested they do DNA tests when she got pregnant. Seeing relationships online she hadn’t considered before, she searched for her birth parents, uncovering family secrets and helping other adoptees in the family tree find theirs. At times, the search left Katelyn very puzzled,…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode034 – All My Life I Knew I Would Be Tested
Adam struggled with his adoption as a child. He didn’t realize how much it was impacting him until he experienced some intense emotions while studying abroad. That interaction was a huge trigger for his search. He’s one of many adoptees who struggled to retrieve their own information from the state of New York. In Adam’s journey, you’ll hear…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode059 – I’m Heather 1
Vonni learned from the neighbor’s child that she was adopted, but she was too young to know what it really meant. In her teen years, the yearning to understand her adoption led her on a journey an hour away to the adoption agency for her non-identifying information. It contained a horrible terrible story, that seemed to be…
Press the Play button to Listen to this episode062 – One Month Of Bonding Helped Me With A Lifetime In Adoption
Tim was adopted into a Lutheran family and his curiosity about his roots started when he was very young. When he met his biological mother, she portrayed her husband as Tim’s father, but the truth came out when her daughters suggested a different version of the truth. It wasn’t until Tim’s early 70’s that he made paternal links and solved…
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