Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

Valerie Naiman is an adoptee, singer, story-songwriter, eco-village founder, ontologist, and author. Her #1 bestseller book, Mystic Masquerade, an Adoptee's Search for Truth, was based on five decades of a search that took her around the world as she unraveled the mystery of her stolen identity. Valerie holds a master's degree in Art and worked as a costume designer and actress in film and theatre in NY, Miami & LA. She’s the President of the Spirit Foundation, a non-profit that supports disenfranchised children..She also leads seekers to sacred sites in the USA and abroad. In 1990 she had an intense vision that ended up founding the first Eco-village in North America.Through all of her adventures, she journaled her findings as she excavated her biological and spiritual identity. Presently, Valerie is completing an audiobook version of Mystic Masquerade and producing an album of story songs about her search. She now lives on a small organic farm in Asheville, NC with her dwarf goats and honeybees.Valerie's Book Trailer and WebsiteInstagram @valnaimanauthor and Facebook @valnaimanauthorTo skip ahead to the interview go to timestamp: 15:29Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, by Gretchen SissonS12F Helping AdopteesGregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community. Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie, Lynn Wood, Jeff Wadstrom, Karla, Ellen Ashcraft,  Gayle Whitlock,  Dave, Kim Mullis, Simone Jung, Liesl de Wet, Kelly Jennings, Sherry Espinoza and Barbara Whitacre.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Chris Valdheims is a domestic adoptee born in the late 1970s and adopted in the early 1980s after spending years of his early childhood in foster care. Growing up, he knew very little about his birth family other than his mother and father had met while she worked as a librarian at MIT. He also knew his father was Black, and his mother had immigrated to the United States from Latvia. He spent years searching for answers about his family of origin, and in 2009, he stumbled upon a complex story that involved his grandfather, a then-unknown geometric artist named Zanis Waldheims. Following the trail from there, he began to unravel the mystery of his family history and, in the process, learn more about himself and where he had come from. His journey took him to Canada, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania for answers, and he shares the story in a recently completed memoir for which he is currently seeking the right publishing partner. Along the way, he discovered that his father may have been one of the astronauts killed in the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons and is the founder of a well-known law firm, Counsel for Creators.Chris Valdheims on Instagram.To skip ahead to the interview go to timestamp: 18:29Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, by Gretchen SissonS12F Helping AdopteesGregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie, Lynn Wood, Jeff Wadstrom, Karla, Ellen Ashcraft,  Gayle Whitlock,  Dave, Kim Mullis, Simone Jung, Liesl de Wet and Kelly Jennings. Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

After being an only child all her life, Margaret Jane’s adoptive parents adopted four more children through the foster care system. This experience of witnessing adoption through foster care, and being the oldest sister of a group of adoptees, has given her a unique perspective and experience with adoption. Margaret Jane is married to her high school sweetheart, who she shares 3 kiddos with. She is an avid gardener, houseplant collector, and sourdough enthusiast. She also enjoys playing various musical instruments with her family and singing and playing for her church worship team.  Margaret Jane works as an adoption “storyteller” for Adoption.com, where her job is to write and tell her own adoption story, as well as the adoption stories of other adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. She is passionate about educating adoptive parents on how to do adoption better. She is also passionate about amplifying adoptee voices and sharing their stories. To skip ahead to the interview go to timestamp: 11:31Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood, by Gretchen SissonS12F Helping AdopteesGregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie, Lynn Wood, Jeff Wadstrom, Karla, Ellen Ashcraft,  Gayle Whitlock, Dave & Kim Mullis.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Susan Ito is the author of the memoir, I Would Meet You Anywhere, published by the Ohio State University Press in November 2023. She co-edited the literary anthology A Ghost At Heart’s Edge: Stories & Poems of Adoption. Her work has appeared in The Writer, Growing Up Asian American, Choice, Hip Mama, Literary Mama, Catapult, Hyphen, The Bellevue Literary Review, and elsewhere.  Her theatrical adaption of Untold, stories of reproductive stigma, was produced at Brava Theater. She is a member of the Writers’ Grotto, and teaches at the Mills College campus of Northeastern University. She was a co-organizer of Rooted and Written, a writing workshop for writers of color. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito. Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.As mentioned by Susan in the episode: The Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture Conference- April 4th-6th at Brown UniversityTo skip ahead to the interview go to timestamp: 17:15S12F Helping AdopteesGregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryUpdate: Although we are unable to attend Chicago's Foglift in May, here is the link for Early Bird tickets: Foglift Early Bird Link: Chicago: May 17th & 18thIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie, Lynn Wood, Jeff Wadstrom & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Stacie is a Canadian born and an adoptee to same race and religion parents in 1991-1992. She is part of a mixed family of adopted and “home-made” siblings, all boys, and is the second oldest. She grew up mostly outdoors in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Traveling to Canada every summer fostered loving bonds with both of her grandmas and many cousins. Living further away from them, though, meant she had to create her group of “family” as she grew up. She’s maintained supportive friendships spanning over 25 years that have involved a lot of skiing, hiking, traveling, education, football games, collecting dogs, significant others, and now nieces and nephews. Reading and music have always been crucial in her life allowing her to think beyond the mountains enclosing the valley she grew up in. Her parents couldn’t contain her independence early on as she studied abroad in Costa Rica and then Spain. After the initial culture shock, she thrives in solitude; searching for something untouched by her conscious mind, a longing that always tugged at her heart. Learning about and experiencing other cultures has been a way to fill the void of her unknown lineage. She isn’t afraid to show her gratitude in any setting: thankfulness, every moment, every experience, and every person who has contributed to thatsense of fullness. Regardless of the reason for “searching” for a first family, Stacie believes in adoptees. should always feel free and empowered to do so. She doesn’t believe there is a “right” way to do it as adoptees never signed a legal form to be in this position so they shouldn’t be held to the standards are adoptive parents agreed to. The World Wide Web is our friend!Stacie hopes to finish her memoir at some point in the future and maintain healthyrelationships with all the family involved in her birth and upbringing. You can find her only on Instagram @stacegrier or in the mountains. Sending so much love to all the adoptees finding their way or already thereUpdate: We are not able to attend Chicago Foglift - to attend: Foglift Early Bird Link: Chicago: May 17th & 18thLIVE PODCAST GUEST: If you would like to be the guest on the LIVE podcast by Sarah & Louise, please send an email to: themakingofmepodcast@gmail.com (make sure you are free to be in Chicago and you would be comfortable in front of a live audience and being filmed/recorded). We will choose one adoptee. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito. Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly Zoom adoptee community.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Ken DeStefano is a domestic adoptee born in the late 1960's and raised in a caring and loving home.  As an adoptee, he has had a largely happy life, but always wondered about the unknown.  That curiosity led to a search for his birth mother and a reunification with her.  His debut novel, "I Will See You Again...Hearts Will Sing," tells the story of two people whose past, present, and future lives are inexplicably linked.Update: We are not able to attend Chicago Foglift - to attend: Foglift Early Bird Link: Chicago: May 17th & 18thLIVE PODCAST GUEST: If you would like to be the guest on the LIVE podcast by Sarah & Louise, please send an email to: themakingofmepodcast@gmail.com (make sure you are free to be in Chicago and you would be comfortable in front of a live audience and being filmed/recorded). We will choose one adoptee. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Thank you S12F for our past support and support of Adoptee 501c3 organizations.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Victoria Rich never expected to search for her biological family. Always curious about her origins, she did a photography project at the infant home where she was born but did not pursue any personal searching. Then she read The Girls Who Went Away and was struck that so many of the women interviewed said they thought about and worried about their babies all the time. She had grown up hearing the message that you should never look because it would be too painful to open up the old wounds for the birth mother. After about a decade of debating whether or not to search, New York State opened its adoption records in 2020. She first spoke to her birth mother the week before the pandemic shutdown. Their reunion was the subject of a PBS Self-Evident Episode.Link for The Infant Home Project: Infant Home projectUpdate: We are not able to attend Chicago Foglift - to attend: Foglift Early Bird Link: Chicago: May 17th & 18th LIVE PODCAST GUEST: If you would like to be the guest on the LIVE podcast by Sarah & Louise, please send an email to: themakingofmepodcast@gmail.com (make sure you are free to be in Chicago and you would be comfortable in front of a live audience and being filmed/recorded). We will choose one adoptee. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Thank you S12F for our past support and support of Adoptee 501c3 organizations.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

John Frey was born in Vietnam and brought to the United States as part of Operation Babylift when he was a year-and-a-half old.  John often struggled with his identity, having been adopted and raised by a White American family while not having any connection to his birth country or culture.I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Thank you S12F for our past support and support of Adoptees 501c3 organizations.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Kristal Parke is a talented Cree filmmaker, producer, podcast host, and adoptee, whose personal journey has driven her to explore themes of identity, belonging, and family in her work. Born and raised on the West Coast of Canada, Kristal was adopted into a non-indigenous family as an infant. This experience profoundly shaped her perspective on life, and she has used her creative prowess to shed light on the complexities of adoption and its impact on individuals and communities. In her highly anticipated debut feature documentary, titled "Because She's Adopted," Kristal delves deep into her own life story while also weaving together the narratives of other adoptees from diverse backgrounds. Through heartfelt interviews, poignant storytelling, and powerful visuals, the film offers a touching and introspective exploration of what it truly means to belong, and the universal longing for a sense of connection and acceptance. The “Because She’s Adopted Podcast” will also be making its way onto the podcast stage Fall of 2024. Kristal Parke cements herself as a compassionate and insightful filmmaker and host, encouraging audiences to reflect on their own stories of identity and belonging.You can find Kristal @Because She's Adopted on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube.I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Thank you S12F for our past support and support of Adoptees 501c3 organizations. Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton, Lynn Marie & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Lorah Gerald is a same race, domestic, Baby Scoop Era, preRoe adoptee. She posts as The Adopted Chameleon on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Patreon, and Pinterest. She co-facilitates Adoptees Connect Tulsa and has a private Facebook group for adoptees and all MPEs called The Adopted Chameleons. She started her social media pages after her reunion with her biological family.She was raised as an only child in her adoptive family.  This was the first time in her life she had ever seen or been in contact with anyone in her biological family. Her birth mother ignored her and rejected her attempts at reunion. She was a secret to her whole family. Reunion was a rollercoaster of emotions. It opened up feelings she had suppressed. She found writing, being creative, and telling her story was therapeutic. Her pages connected her with others who are experiencing adoption trauma. Since that time she has been educating people on the trauma of adoption and how we can help heal ourselves.  To better deal with her trauma, she became a certified kundalini yoga instructor, TIYT-Trauma Informed Yoga Therapy instructor, and Reiki Master.  With her training in trauma, yoga therapy, and energy healing, she shares these tools online and in person in her weekly yoga classes and workshops. Working with these techniques, she now better understands her trauma and how to help others on their path to being their best and authentic selves. All of her social media accounts, articles, podcast interviews, classes, workshops, and more can be found on her website.The Adopted Chameleons group link.Adoptees Connect Tulsa I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Thank you for our past support: S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska, Darra Robins, A.M. Homes, Kelly Layton & Karla.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Sarah D. Shearer is a writer, wife, and mother. She was adopted from Russia as a baby but has spent her life in Thomasville, Georgia. She is passionate about encouraging people to overcome and maintain a positive perspective.Sarah is married with two beautiful children. She and her family live on a sprawling rural farm, which gives her, as L.M. Montgomery says in Sarah’s favorite childhood novel Anne of Green Gables, great “scope for the imagination.”Sarah also enjoys writing for local magazines, reading, and celebrating her friends and family. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™You get 1 month for free when you’re subscribing for 3 months at:https://www.magicmind.com/JANmakingofmeCODE: ADOPTION20: It’s an extra 20% off.Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Ann Mikeska and Darra Robins.Support the showSupport the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Born in Edinburgh in 1963, Roy grew up an only child and always knew he was adopted, or as his adoptive mother, Mollie, would tell him, “chosen”. Whilst loved unconditionally by Mollie and her husband Peter, the stigma of being an adopted teenager in 1970s Scotland resulted in Roy being bullied and spat on in school. At sixteen, he left Mollie a note asking if she had any information about his blood parents. She supplied a form his birth mother had filled in at the adoption agency that gave some details but omitted others, including his father’s name. Roy became a father himself in his mid-forties, his newborn son being the first blood relation he had consciously laid eyes on. In his early fifties, having had his full adoption papers opened, Roy discovered his mother had made a Transatlantic trip to give birth to him before swiftly returning to her home in Toronto, keeping her pregnancy a lifelong secret. Within a few months, he had found the identity of his father and traveled to Canada, meeting close family on both sides he’d never known he had.Roy has since published a series of poems, Be My Baby, and released a CD, Songs from Be My Baby, relating to his adoption and experiences of neurodiversity which further marked him out as "different" at school and continue to impact his life. Writing and performing help him feel closer to both sets of parents and to understanding himself.I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™You get 1 month for free when you’re subscribing for 3 months at:https://www.magicmind.com/JANmakingofmeCODE: ADOPTION20: It’s an extra 20% off, which gets you to a 75% off. This only lasts until the end of January, so hurry up before it goes away.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, DarraSupport the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Pam Uzzell is a documentary filmmaker and podcaster currently living in Oakland, CA. She is the director and producer of four independent documentaries and the host and producer of the podcast, Art Heals All Wounds. Her adoptive parents were loving but saw her as the “oddball” of her family, resulting in a profound sense of loneliness. She turned to reading as a way to find a sense of belonging, which led her to gravitate towards storytelling as a career. She’d often been curious about both of her biological parents, but when she was diagnosed with a rare disease at age 30, it felt more crucial to find answers. After making a connection with her birth mother and her extended family years later, no one on that side of the family appears to have this disease. She discovered that her biological father had passed away two years before she found out his name. In all probability, he was the parent who passed this disease down and he had no other children besides her. However, there are unexplained DNA connections on Ancestry that suggest a mystery behind her father’s origins. Despite attempts to connect with these connections and get more information, she still has more questions than answers about her father’s ancestry and whether there are more biological family members who share this disease.I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™You get 1 month for free when you’re subscribing for 3 months at:https://www.magicmind.com/JANmakingofmeCODE: ADOPTION20: It’s an extra 20% off, which gets you to a 75% off. This only lasts until the end of January, so hurry up before it goes away.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Sally King is an adult adoptee from the foster system. Growing up she knew she did not seem to fit anywhere and just accepted that that was who she was. After marrying and having two biological children a little girl came to her and her husband through the foster care system. This had her embark on a journey of self-discovery and acknowledgment and through the later adoption of her daughter and dealing with social services once again she realized the impact her foster and adoption had on her.Sally has never looked back on her decision and knows full well the impact adoption can have on a person. Good and bad - there is still an impact. She details this journey through many speaking engagements and the writing of her book, "In Search of Serenity".I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™You get 1 month for free when you’re subscribing for 3 months at:https://www.magicmind.com/JANmakingofmeCODE: ADOPTION20: It’s an extra 20% off, which gets you to a 75% off. This only lasts until the end of January, so hurry up before it goes away.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, David Behar, Chris Manby, Jamie Johnson,  Sandra Umney, Patrick Hawes, Anna Brook, Niamh Graham, Lisa Baylasri, Beverly Halsey, Gina Funaro, Karen Lane, Janet Kane, JR, Stacie Witbeck, Karen Bruckner, Kate Hackett and Virginia McQueen.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Jane is a baby scoop-era adoptee born in 1963 in Delaware to a 14 yr. old mother. After being in foster care for the first 10 months she was adopted and raised by two wonderful parents in Pennsylvania.Shortly after her 2nd birthday, her parents gave birth to a biological son. Jane always knew she was adopted and wondered where she came from but never wanted or needed to search. But, at the age of 58, after both adoptive parents passed, she did a DNA test as well as some other searching. She found that sadly, her birth mother had been deceased for 20 years.  Unable to get to know her, it gave her the urge to search and find out whatever else she could.  She discovered that she has six half-siblings. In finding one of the siblings, she found her birth father, with whom she never thought possible. Jane has been reunited with five of the six siblings, as well as her birth father, numerous aunts, and a cousin.Jane owns and operates a cleaning business and still resides in Pennsylvania with her partner and 3 cats. I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, David Behar, Chris Manby, Jamie Johnson,  Sandra Umney, Patrick Hawes, Anna Brook, Niamh Graham, Lisa Baylasri, Beverly Halsey, Gina Funaro, Karen Lane, Janet Kane, JR, Stacie Witbeck, Karen Bruckner, Kate Hackett and Virginia McQueen.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Born in 1970, Sean Broderick was adopted at birth and always knew he was adopted as long as he can remember.  The fact that he was adopted never seemed to bother him or cause any type of turmoil in his life.  Sean seemingly had a happy and healthy childhood although alcoholism existed within one of his adoptive parents, his parents ultimately divorced and he had a lack of discipline and guidance due to being alone often.Growing up, Sean’s adopted mother would remind him from time to time that there will come a day that he will want to meet his biological mother.  This didn’t make sense to Sean on the surface and he never really gave the notion of meeting his bio mom any serious thought. It was when Sean, at the age of thirty-three, and his wife started trying to conceive their first child that he realized that he should try to find out some health history for himself. Sean started his search for his biological mother shortly before his thirty-fourth birthday and was reunited with her about six months later. Since that time, it’s been a roller coaster of emotions that continue to this day and the beginning of meeting many more biological family members over the next eighteen years including siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and even cousins.I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito.Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, David Behar, Chris Manby, Jamie Johnson,  Sandra Umney, Patrick Hawes, Anna Brook, Niamh Graham, Lisa Baylasri, Beverly Halsey, Gina Funaro, Karen Lane, Janet Kane, JR, Stacie Witbeck, Karen Bruckner, Kate Hackett and Virginia McQueen.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Katherine Sanford is yet another adoptee caught up in the Baby Scoop Era of U.S. closed adoptions and the restrictive laws that prevent access to birth records. It wasn’t until 2017, with the help of two spit-in-a-tube ancestry kits, that she could finally answer the one crucial question she longed to answer: “Who am I?” Katherine writes about her experience in the award-winning book, Storked! You can follow her at www.kcsanford.comI Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito. Use Discount  MAKINGOF  for 30% off. Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, David Behar, Chris Manby, Jamie Johnson,  Sandra Umney, Patrick Hawes, Anna Brook, Niamh Graham, Lisa Baylasri, Beverly Halsey, Gina Funaro, Karen Lane, Janet Kane, JR, Stacie Witbeck, Karen Bruckner, Kate Hackett and Virginia McQueen.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Join us for a deep dive into 'loss' with David Benjamin (guest:Season Two) and Moses Farrow (guest:Season Five). To find David BenjaminTo find Moses FarrowMagic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.Available in all Sprouts in January 2024To find NPE StoriesThank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan Higgin, Lisa Thompson,  Michelle Goodwine, Jesper Laursen, Julie Malone, Rivi Shocket , Robert Perrino,  Colleen McCall, Janet MacDonald, Robin Wells, Lynn Grubb, Mikki Jackson-Brown, Sharon Katzmann, Carol Levitt, Elizabeth McDonald, Diane Moore, Darra Robinson, Jen Arave, Thomas Stevenson, Michael Berman, Cindy Turgeon,  Monica Hall, Allison Olson , Lenora Carey,  Sandra de Quesada, Noreen Hartigan, Heidi Binnewies, Kathryn Haddad, April Dury, David Behar, Chris Manby, Jamie Johnson,  Sandra Umney, Patrick Hawes, Anna Brook, Niamh Graham, Lisa Baylasri, Beverly Halsey, Gina Funaro, Karen Lane, Janet Kane, JR, Stacie Witbeck, Melia Misak Cox, Karen Bruckner and Kate Hackett.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Nikole Shaw also known as "Koko" in the online community was born in Hawaiian Gardens, California, growing up in the suburbs of Orange County.  Adopted as an infant, she is a black domestic adoptee who spent much of her life in a small town called Brea. Koko received her Bachelors of Science from San Jose State University and is currently working for the Department of Public Health San Francisco as a mental health professional.  Koko is mostly known in the adoptee community as @theblackadoptea and spends her time advocating for and creating content for the adoptee community.  She has a passion for spoken word and is also a writer who is in the process of completing her first children's book about adoption. Koko continues to share her adoption journey with the world and is reunion with her biological family from Belize.   We are re-running Koko's episode to highlight past episodes that the listener may have missed. Remember our Season Five Finale and Contest Winner Announcement will be on December 19th. Stay tuned!Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.To enter our New York City ATMOM Happy Hour & Operation Foglist + Un-M-Othered Screening taking place on February 2nd & 3rd -  go directly to the home page of our website and Subscribe to the Pod.Note: There will be a cash stipend for airfare and hotels - if you live outside the continental US, you may have to pay additional funds to attend depending upon cost. Tickets to Operation Fog Lift & Un-M-Othering- are limited so hurry to purchase! Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights LawJoe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Support the showSupport the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Shelley Jean is a baby scoop-era domestic adoptee born in 1970. She was in foster care for about 2 months before being adopted. She always knew she was adopted but didn’t think about it very often until her adoptive mother passed away. At the age of 48, Shelley started on her journey of self-discovery. She now has a hard time imagining her life before searching. The journey has had many ups and downs, but Shelley is content to finally know her own story.Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss  The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond.Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.To enter our New York City ATMOM Happy Hour & Operation Foglist + Un-M-Othered Screening taking place on February 2nd & 3rd -  go directly to the home page of our website and Subscribe to the Pod.Note: There will be a cash stipend for airfare and hotels - if you live outside the continental US, you may have to pay additional funds to attend depending upon cost. Tickets to Operation Fog Lift & Un-M-OtheringThank you to our sponsor S12F.Joe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryTo learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook PageIf you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.Support the showTo support the show - Patreon.