Jennifer’s journey at Ancestry® began more than 20 years ago with a love of editing, writing, and publishing—and a strong desire to remain close to her Utah roots. Today, her passion for storytelling remains at an all-time high, thanks in part to the technological innovations she’s witnessed throughout her career. Stories that once took days to research now unfold in minutes. It’s Jennifer’s job to surface the power of Ancestry® for television programming, public relations campaigns, and media o...
Jan 06, 2022•32 min
For our 50th Episode and the grand finale of our "Gifted"series we are thrilled to share our behind the scenes/song release episode. As fate would have it, Heidi Frederick flew from California to where I live in Washington State to say goodbye to her father who passed a few days ago. The song "Looking for Me" represents the ache of grappling with the complex feelings of discovering who we truly are. The process of recovering identity is messy; this song represents the hope that we can give each ...
Dec 23, 2021•39 min
For our “ Gifted Series”, we would like to reintroduce Heidi Frederick, she is an incredible author, speaker and poet. During our first episode almost a year ago Heidi read her poem “Looking For Me”, our music master, singer/songwriter Sean Farley suggested we turn her words into a song and we are happy to say that has happened. This week we are proudly re-releasing the wonderful conversation that started a months long collaboration. Being witness to the creative process is confirmation that hea...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min
The electric Myles Redfern has returned for our " Gifted" series to share another slam poem. We break down the poem line by line getting into the emotions adopted people feel. Myles encourages all of us to say,"I AM AMAZING" and to avoid negative self talk. This episode is full of good energy and truth telling. Click here to send us a text. Also, our book “Pulled By The Root” is available at https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/book https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/...
Dec 08, 2021•43 min
Ross John Martin plays beautiful acoustic music. He is an adopted person who as a teenager battled an illness called ME which left him temporarily in a wheelchair. He found refuge and a love for the guitar. Ross overcame the odds, his awakening of the soul is a theme in his songs. Ross recently found his biological family, most of his songs and blogs are about what it means to be adopted. In this “ Gifted ” series episode Ross reads the lyrics and shares three of his songs. We talk about the nee...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Dave Brown is a domestic adopted person, his adoption was closed, his identity erased when his adoption was finalized. Dave’s identity remained a state secret until he took an Ancestry DNA test in 2019. Within a few days of receiving his test results he found the identity of his birth father. The following month the identity of his birth mother was confirmed. Dave waited until late in life to find his truth because he didn’t wait to risk rejection. Both of his birth parents are deceased but he i...
Nov 26, 2021•33 min
Monica and John were separately adopted, and never knew their sibling existed for decades. When they finally met, both said it was like they already knew each other. Monica was adopted as a little girl in NYC she had no idea that John was born to the same mother seven years later and adopted by a different family. After 27 years both received letters that said they had a sibling. The long-lost siblings’ biological mother chose not to have contact with them, but her children couldn’t stay apart. ...
Nov 24, 2021•42 min
Destini is a former foster youth and adoptee but most of all she is a Christian, wife of 18 years and mother to three wonderful children. She is passionate about using her story to help others find healing and learn more about foster care and adoption. Destini’s most recent endeavor is the publication of her memoir, Set Free in May of 2020. Set Free is Destini’s personal childhood memoir that begins at her birth and ends with the birth of her first child at the age of 23. Her extensive case file...
Nov 19, 2021•56 min
Abby Forero Hilty is a transracial Intercountry adopted person. She was born in Bogota', Colombia and brought as an infant to a suburb of NYC by way of adoption by a white, Jewish couple. Abby is a fierce believer in family preservation as well as the need to confront the issues that uphold plenary adoption practices. In 2017, Abby published the first Colombian adoptee anthology with the voices of 17 Colombian adoptees. The book is called Decoding Our Origins: The Lived Experiences of Colombian ...
Nov 18, 2021•38 min
Mindy got her first TV writing job at 48, it took her 26 years to find her biological family she says you’re never too old and it’s never too late. Mindy was surrendered for adoption in the 1960’s, she spent three months in foster care before being adopted by a couple in New York City. In this episode, Mindy speaks passionately about her lived experience and encourages adopted people to never give up. As she so brilliantly wrote in a piece for CROSSIN(G) GENRES: Adoption is many things, but what...
Nov 11, 2021•47 min
Clay was adopted as an infant and went most of his life without knowing who his birth parents were. As an adult Clay has been reunified with his birth mother and five brothers he never knew existed. He has also fostered an infant and had the honor of adopting him after a long journey. They are hopeful he can be reunited with his original family one day. Clay and his wife also have four biological children who fill their lives with joy. In this episode, Clay speaks about his deep faith, parenting...
Nov 05, 2021•35 min
Secrets dig a debt. “Christina” is an adopted daughter and a biological daughter. A youngest sister and an oldest sister. She is a devoted mother of two who is married to an amazing man. Her post reunion life has been riddled with shame, secrecy and heartache. This episode exposes the pain of what it is to be trapped between two worlds. ”Christina” wishes to be a champion for all adopted people who seek the answers of their true existence. She believes there is enough love to go around and that ...
Nov 04, 2021•48 min
Psychotherapist Tony Dunne was born in the 70’s, the eldest of three adopted children. He was raised in the inner city working class area of Dublin Ireland. Childhood was full of fears, he always felt unknown and knew there was something different about him. His teen years were a struggle, Tony felt fearful and anxious in most surroundings. At 15 years old he found alcohol, his first drink gave him a connection he had never felt before. Tony eventually hit rock bottom, his recovery opened a new ...
Oct 28, 2021•53 min•Ep. 40
Chilean Adoptees Worldwide "CAW" was founded by Alejandro Quezada, Maria Angelica Martinez and Jessica Pincheira who were adopted illegally to the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium. In the 70's, 80's and 90's a wave of children were leaving Chili through adoption during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Many of these children were not relinquished voluntarily. In the first episode, Maria shares her personal journey in heart wrenching detail. In the second episode, Alejandro and Jessica join us...
Oct 19, 2021•52 min
Chilean Adoptees Worldwide "CAW" was founded by Alejandro Quezada, Maria Angelica Martinez and Jessica Pincheira who were adopted illegally to the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium. In the 70's, 80's and 90's a wave of children were leaving Chili through adoption during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Many of these children were not relinquished voluntarily. In the first episode, Maria shares her personal journey in heart wrenching detail. In the second episode, Alejandro and Jessica join us...
Oct 19, 2021•1 hr 5 min
This episode is graphic , containing detailed descriptions of physical violence, suicide, sexual and physical abuse. This anonymous interview speaks to pain of adoption and how it can adversely affect us and the people we care about. So many adopted people are suffering in isolation. "Andy" takes us through the darkness of his complex trauma toward the light of redemption. His mission is to speak his truth and share his pain so that our adopted brothers and sisters can feel validated. "Andy" als...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Alesia and Kara created the organization called Right to Know. They believe laws related to genetic information, identity and family dynamics need to be updated to reflect the changing technology and social dynamics of the times. Both of these incredible women have experienced something called an MPE- Misattributed Parentage Experience-the discovery of a change in a person's perceived parental genealogy from a previously unknown or undisclosed assisted conception, adoption or Non Paternity Event...
Oct 08, 2021•47 min
Greg Luce is a Minnesota based attorney and a DC born adopted person. He is the founder of Adoptee Rights Law Center and the president of Adoptees United Inc. He is a graduate of Boston University and the University of Minnesota Law School. Greg helps adopted people navigate legal challenges in obtaining their own original birth certificated, securing U.S. citizenship, and seeking information to which they are entitled. He is also working to develop broader legal strategies to challenge existing...
Sep 20, 2021•42 min
Barbara Sumner is the author of the stunning book Tree of Strangers. She has worked in film and journalism and manages Cloud South Pictures with her husband, Tom Burstyn. In 2009 This Way Of Life, their feature documentary about a family living simply in the Rhine Ranges won the Berlinale Generation Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, was shortlisted for an Oscar and won awards at film festivals around the world. Barbara is currently a PhD candidate studying adoption, third party conception ...
Sep 20, 2021•33 min
Lance is an adopted person, reverend, blogger and podcaster of Two Lucky Bastards. He is also a researcher who will be a starting a PhD considering the impact of closed stranger adoption. He currently resides in New Zealand and is happy to be a antipodean (voice form the bottom of the world) In this episode, he openly shares his lived experience of being adopted and how it has impacted his life and his faith. His podcast Two Lucky Bastards dives into conversations about the book Tree of Stranger...
Sep 17, 2021•50 min
In our first episode, Mirah discussed the problems with adoption, in this episode she focuses on the solutions. As an advocate of family preservation not adoption separation, Mirah seeks an end to the falsification of vital records and believes that adoption as it is currently practiced needs to be replaced with guardian adoption after all attempts to provide resources for children to remain safely within their extended family have been exhausted. Such permanent legal guardianship would give all...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Mirah Riben is the author of two internationally acclaimed books, Shedding Light on The Dark Side of Adoption and The Stork Market: Amercia’s Multi-Billion Dollar Unregulated Adoption Industry. Mirah has published over 200 articles in the Huffington Post, USA Today and Crime Magazine to name a few. Her body of work spans four decades of researching and exposing the problems in the adoption industry, third party conception, anonymous contact conception and surrogacy, and the denial of adoptee rig...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Heather was found on the streets of Busan Korea in 1973 , then adopted at 6 months old to a family in Michigan. She holds 3 Masters degrees and currently works for Apple in their professional learning group. Heather also has a minor in theatre, taught ballroom dance and took classical ballet for 15 years. She is married with one daughter and a step son. In this episode Heather shares what her lived experience as a transracial adopted person has been like. Her journey has been filled with challen...
Sep 02, 2021•55 min
Kate became a therapist in midlife and has an affinity for working with people experiencing anxiety or undue stress brought on by life transitions. She knows it takes a lot of guts to enter into a therapeutic relationship. As an adopted person, Kate understands first hand the grief adoptees face. In her blog "The Couch", she writes about the 6 stages of grief and how they relate to adoption. In this episode, Kate shares her own lived experience along with her professional insights. This intervie...
Aug 27, 2021•51 min
Kevin Barhydt is an adopted person, YouTube creator, and the author of Dear Stephen Michaels's Mother. His YouTube channel creates a safe space for survivors of addiction, abandonment, adoption and child sexual abuse to explore the healing process. At 45 years old, Kevin began the painful journey to uncover his origins. He agreed to come on our podcast using his Twins Video format (where Kevin's inner child and adult self communicate). What you are about to hear is a planning session I didn't kn...
Aug 20, 2021•52 min
Sara's book SEARCHING FOR MOM is a "disarmingly honest" mother-daughter story. As an adoptee Sara has lived the effects of intergenerations wounding. The inherent sense of being unwanted drove her into perfectionism. Her mother's death launched her into a spiritual epiphany. Sara's perspective as an adopted person offers insight to anyone in the adoption constellation. She has a passion for helping others understand the often-misunderstood hearts of adopted children. In this episode we discuss o...
Aug 12, 2021•56 min
Vin was adopted from India and raised in Australia he is an advocate, photographer and a model with a huge heart. What Vin has survived in hard to comprehend, yet he remains hopeful and full of life. This episode does discuss suicide, rape and sexual orientation. Vin also discusses his personal experience with bullying inside the adoption community. His vulnerability and willingness to share his truth is an act of courage. All sides, all voices need to be heard, thank you Vin for sharing your pe...
Aug 06, 2021•56 min
Amanda is a transracial adoptee who grew up struggling with self-identity, racial identity issues, low self-esteem and anxiety. She fought for years to figure out who she was and how she fit in. She is on a journey of forgiveness, acceptance and discovery which is making her stronger. Amanda wants to inspire other adoptees to heal and empower themselves. She has a FB group for transracial adoptees, adoptive/foster parents of transracial adoptees to learn and network with each other. Amanda also ...
Jul 30, 2021•54 min
Moses Farrow, LMFT is an Adoption Trauma Therapist, with over 20 years in the mental health field. He is on a mission to save adoptee lives, sharing his personal experiences as a survivor of abuse, suicide and suicide loss. He has also become an outspoken advocate for mental health, suicide prevention, anti-racism and adoption reform. He has also begun the #truthislouder movement which encourages adoptees to speak their truth and invites everyone to help save adoptee lives. Click here to send us...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr
Bernie Miller is a late discovery adoptee who found out he was adopted 3.5 years ago at the age of 62. He is currently working on his memoir that describes his experiences through the new discovery lens. Bernie wants to help people understand that birth and adoption trauma are real and not to be dismissed. He also agreed to sing a song during this episode which caused me to "lose it". Bernie is passionate about vocal music and theater, he is intent on finishing a 2nd degree in Theatre Arts. Bern...
Jul 18, 2021•52 min
