John, from Southern California, learned at 10 years old he was adopted. But he didn’t do anything with the information for four decades while he lived a dream playing the game of basketball as a collegiate star, professional player, and international coach. On his search John found the man who transacted his adoption, heard stories … Read more
Becky, from Sydney, Ohio, said she has always searched for someone who resembled herself. When she found her birth mother, she was wounded by the woman’s fear reaction to having been found after two decades apart. Becky lived with her adoption reunion rejection trauma for years until she found the adoptee community, gained clarity on … Read more
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
