Donna, from Scottsdale, Arizona, had a condition at birth which meant she was going straight to the hospital before her adoption, insuring her detachment from her birth mother and her future family, until she recovered. When she was a teenager, Donna was cut off by her adoptive father when she got pregnant then placed her…

Heidi, from Silicon Valley, California, grew up walking on eggshells, crying a lot and “staying small” in her world despite being gifted. She found her maternal family guided by a somewhat famous reunion specialist who helped the reunion along. Heidi says reunion can be weird and awkward for how much time has passed while an…

Jack from Phoenix, Arizona, said as a boy, he was kept separate from his sister who was biologically related to his parents. While he was interested in reunion jack was clearly told his desires were unacceptable. He held off from searching for years only to find later that his birth mother was eagerly awaiting his…

David, from San Jose, CA said when he was a kid he knew he was talented and smart but his gifts didn’t seem to measure up to his adoptive parents expectations. When David learned he was adopted the news, left him wanting to find his birth mother rebelling and challenged to control his behavior. In…

Before Season 11 begins I wanted to share some personal updates on my journey. Who Am I Really? Who Am I Really? Website – http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/ Share Your Story – bit.ly/2imgrtv_Share Listen On Apple Podcasts – http://apple.co/2oOd25m Spotify – https://spoti.fi/2RN3jcB  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2oEU7bH TuneIn – http://tun.in/piyg9 Stitcher – http://bit.ly/2DsqBxk_Stitcher Player FM – https://player.fm/series/who-am-i-really Podbean – bit.ly/2I0ITeY_Podbean YouTube – http://bit.ly/2oF3yrH Social Media Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WAIReally/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/waireally/ Damon’s own story…

Bryan Elliott, writer, director, producer, grew up in Southern California feeling under prioritized by his adoptive mother. At an early age, he had ambitions of finding his birth family. After extensive research Bryan called a long list of women only to realize she was among those who had repeatedly told him, “sorry, it’s not me.”…

Lisa, my guest from episode 168, “A Vein of Gratitude” is back to share how her reunion has been in the year since we spoke. Lisa and I chatted the night before Lisa met her birth mother for the first time. The COVID-19 pandemic had kept them apart, so the moment was imminent that they…

Mike, from SoCo, Maine was cruising through childhood until he was told he was adopted. The news shook Mike’s confidence in relationships and the aftermath lingered in self doubt, creeping through his personal and professional life. When he found his maternal family, Mike was welcomed in as his sister lamented that they missed so much…

Singer/song writer Jenni Alpert, aka Cami, my guest from episode 96, is back to share an update on her life with her birth father, Don. Recall Jenni took on her birth nickname Cami and went under cover in the streets of Los Angeles to locate Don who was hiding from the law, using drugs, and…

Singer Song writer Jenni Alpert, commonly referred to by her birth name, Cami had a wonderful life supported by her adoptive parents as she pursued the performing arts. After her adoptive father passed away, she learned that her biological mother had too. Her maternal connections went well over time, but her paternal side remained a…

Alyssa, from Jacksonville, Florida, is a biracial woman who was adopted into a white family in a white community. Living without racial mirrors. She realized in her youth, she was missing a connection to the black community. With identifying information, Alyssa was able to locate her biological parents quickly, but Alyssa is eternally grateful that…

Shannon, from Hazel Green, Alabama, stood out from her adoptive family in looks and some personality traits. So there was a natural curiosity about her birth family. She assumed she’d be able to locate them, her whole story would be laid out with clear facts about her conception, and everything would make sense. Instead, Shannon…

Kristen, from Minnesota, was a multi-sport athlete in high school, even competing while pregnant with her daughter. She tells the story of giving birth, placing her daughter, then needing years to get her life back on track. In one incredible year, Kristen learned that her birth parents were looking for her, her daughter wanted to…

Larry, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, talks about his life as a transracial adoptee in a predominantly white community where many white parents adopted black children. In a desperate search for role models he latched on to some undesirable stereotypes of what a black man should be including stories he heard about his birth father. After…

Julie, from Humboldt County, California, had a wonderful reunion with her birth mother and has learned how a woman operates, which has helped Julie managed some of her own feelings in their reunion. But when Julie’s birth mother admitted she’d had a one night stand, Julie thought she’d never find her birth father. DNA testing…

After years of struggling to get along with her adoptive mother, who struggled as a World War II survivor, Danielle finally figured out the reasons for their differences. She’s a late discovery adoptee, but hers was less of a discovery, more of a revelation that overcame her in the middle of the night. She found…

Jonathan’s admits adoption was always part of his story and he was never made to feel special or different. But after his adopted sister sought out her biological family for medical information, Jonathan decided it was time for his search to begin to. What he found was such a great likeness to his paternal side,…

Mike who called me from Berlin, Germany was born in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s a place he ultimately fought hard to try to get away from because of its association with his adoptive family. After years traveling the country, then moving abroad to Germany Mike found himself in reunion with his birth mother back in…

Rebecca called me from outside of Richmond, Virginia. She has lived a life in adoption from the formation of her family, with her adoption to becoming a birth mother, dedicating her professional life to adoption and experiencing reunion with her birth mother birth father and her son. Her reunions have been a mix of denial…

When Lisa and I chatted, she was in a hotel in South Dakota, but she normally resides in Tennessee. She was in town for the momentous occasion of reuniting with her birth mother the next day. We agreed to chat ahead of time because Lisa knew she would be a different person after reunion. Lisa…