Damon

Elianna who called me from Santa Cruz, California, said growing up her family moved frequently, which taught her it was easy to uproot and restart. When her adopted brother triggered her search with his own desire to find his birth mother, Eliana got very emotional about her inability to locate the woman she wanted to … Read more

Linda, who called me from St. Petersburg, Florida, said that when her adoptive mother found herself single parenting her two daughters, they moved to the south where her family shunned the children for being adopted. In reunion with her birth mother, Linda found a woman who had a tough story to share about her conception, … Read more

Fred called me from outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, near lake Michigan. Fred grew up an only child loved and supported by his parents, but sometimes feeling out of place and misdirected by them when he tried to pursue some of his interests. As an adult, a slip of the tongue of one of his relatives revealed … Read more

Kamina called me from Dubai, but she grew up in Texas. Kamina said she was always confused about why she didn’t look like her adoptive family and no one would ever admit she was adopted. Turmoil between her adoptive parents led both of them to alcoholism, poor judgment, and an awful love triangle that got … Read more

Trish from Arlington, Texas had open access to her adoption records which provided the information she needed to find her birth mother. But just because she was found didn’t mean the woman wanted to talk. When her birth mother’s reluctance to meet Trish softened, they formed a relationship that lasted many years until suddenly it … Read more

My guest asked that I maintain her anonymity, so I’ll refer to her as Nina. She shared her story growing up with dedicated parents who embraced her challenges and gave her the foundational support she needed. Her birth father found her through a reunification registry and while he has his own struggles, he’s a very dear friend … Read more

Lori was adopted after her biological mother lived with her adoptive parents, desperately trying to escape the tyranny of her abusive husband. The abuse her birth mother suffered would be a recurring theme in her own life when her mother’s drinking got worse. Lorie tells the story of growing up reminded of the privilege she lived with … Read more

Haley Radke, Host/Producer of the Adoptees On podcast is my special guest for this special 100th episode! Haley shared her story of gaining access to her open adoption record in Canada when she was 18 and quickly connecting with her first mother via email. They met soon after, but that rapid connection at Haley’s young age … Read more

Barry always knew he was adopted, but before he ever launched a search, he was found by his older sister. He tells the story of meeting her, and subsequently meeting his birth mother, both of whom welcomed him into their hearts. Hearing stories about why he was placed for adoption, Barry learned that he may have been … Read more

Cindy knew she was adopted, but she believed the men in her life where of biological relation – she thought she was adopted within the family. She lived decades with what she calls a lie. DNA testing revealed that her biological father was someone else entirely, and her search for her birthmother hasn’t returned any details about where the woman might be. She has developed … Read more