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

Latest Episodes:

Jane: A Late Reunion Brings Family and Answers Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

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 2024
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook Page

If 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 show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sean: An Adoptee Faces the Rollercoaster of Reunion Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

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 2024
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook Page

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Katherine: A Lifelong Question is Finally Answered Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

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.com
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 2024
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook Page

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David and Moses: Season Five Finale Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Join us for a deep dive into 'loss' with David Benjamin (guest:Season Two) and Moses Farrow (guest:Season Five).
To find David Benjamin
To find Moses Farrow
Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™
Use code: ADOPTION20 to save on your subscription.
Available in all Sprouts in January 2024
To find NPE Stories
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook Page

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Koko: An Adoptee Becomes an Advocate Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

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 Law
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about: CAAR visit the Facebook Page

If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shelley: Her Self-Discovery Led to Lasting Peace Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

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-Othering
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page

If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kevin: From Darkness to Joy Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Kevin Barhydt is a YouTube creator and the author of Dear Stephen Michael’s Mother. His YouTube channel creates a safe space for survivors of addiction, abandonment, adoption, and child sexual abuse, to explore the healing process.

Abandoned by his mother at birth, Kevin was enveloped in a labyrinth of adoption, addiction, and child sexual abuse. By age 20, a shell of the boy he once was, Kevin succumbed completely to a suicidal lifestyle of drug dealing and prostitution. At 45, after many years of recovery, Kevin began a painful journey to uncover his origins and the hopeful search for his mother.

His book, “Dear Stephen Michael’s Mother”, chronicles the unfolding of these stories. The interwoven perspectives offer an unflinching look at the myriad ways life can cloak us in darkness and helplessness yet still resonate with joy and recovery.
To find Kevin and his Book: Stephen Michael's Mother
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-Othering
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page

If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Monica: Childhood Trauma Led to Empowerment Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Monica Hall is an author, adoptee, and birthmother.

She was born in Canada, adopted by American parents, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing.

In addition to working as a business consultant, she has founded several successful companies and has worked in advertising and marketing for more than twenty years.

Monica published essays on her website and wrote her memoir to provide others with understanding, courage, and empowerment. She wants readers to realize that no matter the difficulties they face, it’s possible to heal and succeed.

Monica is a speaker, life coach, and mentor. She has three grown children and lives in Sacramento, California.

Practically Still a Virgin will be available in Spring, 2024. Please subscribe to Monicahall.com for launch dates and essays.

You can find Monica at:
Website
Instagram
Personal Facebook
Author Facebook
TikTok
Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond.
Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™
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
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page

If you want to support our show, visit our Patreon Page.

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vicky: Starting a Family Led to Deep Discoveries Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

A few kismet moments in her early twenties led her on a journey of discovering who she looks like. Vicky Heydon was adopted through a private county adoption right after birth in 1987 and then raised in the same county. Although she believes she crossed paths with her biological family a few years prior, it wasn't until she was in her late 20s when she was helping to pack up her parents to move out of state that led her to her biological family.

When the idea of building her own family came into focus, Vicky began facing her truths about adoption and began to focus on the question, "Is it nature or nurture?"
Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss The Baby Thief by Barbara Bisantz Raymond.
Magic Mind - The World’s First Productivity Shot™
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
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Moses: Adoptee. Advocate. Therapist. Educator. Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Moses Farrow, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, who has 20+ years of working in the mental health field. Farrow has spent the last decade within the population of adopted people and their families. As an activist and speaker, he is mission-driven. In 2018, he wrote a blog article speaking out about his personal life as a survivor of abuse and suicide loss. Since then, he has started several initiatives in the fight against anti-Asian hate, suicide, human rights violations, child abuse, mental health stigma, and child trafficking. Throughout the past decade, Farrow has volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations focused on addressing adoption issues. He has continued to share his personal experiences and those of his siblings who are no longer able to on his social media and on news and pop culture platforms such as The Guardian, Love What Matters, and numerous podcasts. Today, he adds voice to the efforts of other activists regarding the criminal elements of the adoption industry that result in the deaths of adopted people.
To find Moses: Moses Farrow
Adoption Trauma Factsheet Download - Moses Farrow

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: You must live in the Continental United States to enter the contest.
Thank you to our sponsor S12F.
Joe Soll & other adoptee resources
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Reckoning with the Primal Wound Documentary
To learn more about CAAR visit the Facebook Page
If 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 and Beverly Halsey.

Support the show

To support the show - Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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