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

In this episode, Sarah and Louise recap Season One and then they speak to Megan Culhane Galbraith.Megan Culhane Galbraith is a writer, visual artist and adoptee. Her debut memoir-in-essays The Guild of the Infant Saviour: An Adopted Child's Memory Book (Mad Creek Books/Ohio State University Press) was published in May 2021. Megan's work was listed as Notable in Best American Essays 2021 and 2017 and recognized by Poets & Writers in their "5 Over 50" issue. She is the 2022 Writer-in-Residence at adopteeson.com. Her essays, interviews, reviews and visual art have appeared in BOMB, The Believer, HYPERALLERGIC! ZZYZYVA, Tupelo Quarterly, Hobart, Redivider, Longreads, Hotel Amerika, and Catapult, among others. Megan has been awarded fellowships from The Saltonstall Foundation, The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and The Horned Dorset Colony. She is the founding director of the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont Young Writers Institute. She holds a BA in Journalism from the Pennsylvania State University and an MFA in Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars. Website: www.megangalbraith.comTwitter: @megangalbraithInstagram: @m.galbraith and @the_d0llh0useFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.culhane.galbraithHere's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Thank you to our current Patreon donors for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David and Ron Schneider.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Sixteen of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Ann Marie Morello.Ann Marie Morello is a licensed mental health counselor, Adoptee coach and self proclaimed “truth warrior.” She owns a boutique private mental health practice in Suffolk County, New York. Ann Marie was a closed domestic adoption, was in foster care, and has been in reunion since 2017. We will hear how being an adoptee shapes her work as a licensed trauma professional, and the personal fulfillment she receives volunteering as co-facilitator of the Long Island chapter of Adoptees Connect Inc. She credits finding her truth with the help of a professional genealogist, DNA, and personal tenacity. Ann Marie continues to uncover more secrets since reunion and is currently handling the emotional pain of secondary loss/estrangement with first family.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Thank you to our current Patreon donors for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David and Ron Schneider.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Fifteen of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Eric David.Born in Queens in 1966, Eric was adopted at two months old. He is the oldest and has one sister who is adopted and one who is not, all treated equally by their parents. Eric's married with two sons: one who died in 2013 and the other who is graduating college next year. Having his own genetic kin caused him to start his search. Eric recently found his birth mother through a DNA test after years of searching, and they reunited in August of 2021.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Thank you to our current Patreon's for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra and Ron Schneider.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Fourteen of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Rachel Atiemo-Obeng.Rachel Atiemo-Obeng was born In Southfield Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, adopted as an infant, and raised in Midland Michigan. She received her M.Ed. with emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, and has worked with special needs children for over ten years in clinical and school settings. She has recently relocated to Los Angeles California where she works as a Special Education Paraeducator and Special Education advocate for California Connections Academy. She is also pursuing her passion as a singer/songwriter, going by the artist name Rachel AO for her works. Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Thank you to our current Patreon's for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt and Ron Schneider.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Thirteen of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Representative Casey Weinstein.Casey Weinstein is currently serving his second term as a State Representative in the Ohio House of Representatives. He lives in Hudson, Ohio with his wife Amanda and their three children—Nora, Emelia, and Brady. Both Casey and Amanda are veterans of the United States Air Force and served at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before eventually moving to Ohio to start their family. Their son, Brady, was formally adopted earlier this year.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page. Thank you to our current Patreon's for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Denise Cruz-Castino, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt and Ron Schneider. Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this special episode, Sarah and Louise put their chapter discussion on hold to talk to Jennifer Utley, Director of Research, at Ancestry.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 outlets. On a personal note, Jennifer has had the pleasure of tracing her interests in publishing, reading, and music to not-so-distant relatives. And by learning more about the adversity some of her ancestors faced, Jennifer is able to draw strength and resolve to achieve her own goals. From battle-worn grandfathers to early colonial patriots, Jennifer’s family history embodies a bold sense of pride in forging ahead where others might give pause. This makes her the perfect choice to curate and distribute the most compelling Ancestry® narratives to empower personal discoveries and enrich lives.For Jennifer, the most rewarding part of her work at Ancestry® is the emotional connections that develop when customers keep coming back to connect their own dots.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page. Thank you to our current Patreon's for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Ron Schneider and Daphne Keys. Support the show Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Twelve of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to David Daniels.Adopted at birth by a pioneering Hollywood television couple who were responsible for creating some of the most iconic series of our time, including I Love Lucy, David grew up in the midst of show-biz Los Angeles far removed from the devoutly Christian world of West Virginia, where his biological parents were from. But it was this very Christian faith that compelled David's unwed college-age birth mother to carry David to term, clandestinely flee from West Virginia to New York City to give birth to David, and then relinquish him into the arms of the progressive TV industry couple, whose open-mindedness ultimately freed David to search for and find his biological parents. Listen now to hear David's story of coming home to roots that are in marked contrast to his life as an adoptee.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page. Thank you to our current Patreon's for their support. They are: Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records and Ron Schneider. Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Eleven of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Nichie Stonall.Nichie (Nikki) Stonall moved from Michigan to Johannesburg South Africa in 2015 to work alongside Impact Africa as the director of their Impact Baby Rescue. She leads a team of women who raise awareness about Baby Abandonment, counsels women as they journey through their pregnancies, and oversees the day-to-day operations of a baby home. Nichie lives in Johannesburg with her husband Chris and together they have a daughter. Nichie's passion for Adoption and family drives her to continue to advocate for the mothers who are facing an uncertain future for their babies, and the precious babies her team cares for. Find Impact Africa on Social Media under Impact Africa on Facebook and Instagram. And, Nichie can be found on Facebook as Nichie Parish Stonall and Instagram as @nichiestonalHere's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?fan_landing=true)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?fan_landing=true)Support the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Ten of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Damon L. Davis.Damon L. Davis is the host and producer of the podcast, "Who Am I Really?" (www.whoamireallypodcast.com) where adoptees tell their own stories of adoption and share their experiences attempting reunion with their birth families. He has interviewed over 150 adoptees from a diverse range of adoption experiences. In his autobiography "Who Am I Really? - An Adoptee Memoir" Damon shares his journey to becoming an adoptive parent and his emotions over the birth of his natural son, Seth. Damon opens up about the heartbreak of grappling with his adoptive mother's mental illness while balancing the joy of locating his birth mother. His journey takes a twist when he finds his biological father via DNA testing.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?fan_landing=true)Support the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Nine of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Denise Cruz-Castino.Denise Cruz-Castino is an advertising writer and screenwriter from Los Angeles. When she was five years old, her four-year-old cousin Kenny moved in and became her adopted brother. No matter how much love he got from Denise’s family, and how much therapy, these early years shaped his rocky life that continued through his adulthood.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page. Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerSupport the showTo 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.

In this special episode, Sarah and Louise put their chapter discussion on hold to talk to Nancy Verrier, author of the groundbreaking book, The Primal Wound, and Rebecca Autumn Sansom, director of the upcoming documentary, Reckoning With The Primal Wound.Nancy raised both an adopted daughter as well as a biological daughter and was able to compare her children’s behavior. She became so fascinated with her adopted daughter’s response to being relinquished that she changed careers, becoming a psychologist and writing her thesis about the separation of a mother and child. She called this separation the primal wound.Rebecca Autumn, who goes by both her adopted name and her birth name, connected with Nancy to help realize Reckoning With The Primal Wound. It is the first adoptee and biological mother team to produce a film about The Primal Wound. She has partnered with Legacy Entertainment Partners and Executive Producer Gena Vazquez to secure distribution. Reckoning with The Primal Wound: Official TrailerHere's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page. Episode is LivePublished: Aug. 10, 2021 @ 2AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Visual Soundbite AvailableSquare Soundbite - 0:44Great for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Download SoundbiteDelete this Soundbite and create a new one.Promote a BrandAdd a Brand MentionBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedInMore OptionsEmail Link to Episode CopyDirect Link to MP3 Copy Download MP3Support the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Eight of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier and then they speak to Mick Smyer.Born and raised in New Orleans, Mick started out life in St. Vincent’s, a Catholic orphanage, where he lived until he was adopted at six months old. His adoptive mother was 50 years old when she adopted Mick, but she lied about her age to the adoption agency (and to her husband). She was also mentally ill. Not surprisingly, Mick eventually became a psychologist, with a specialty in geriatric mental illness. Listen now to hear Mick's journey in finding his biological family.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Seven of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier. They then talk to Madeline and Laura Lillis, two sisters from Kansas City with a unique story.Raised in a single-parent household by their biological dad, Madeline and Laura’s relationship to adoption may not be apparent to an unfamiliar listener. However, in this episode, these sisters describe their unique relationship to and perspective on adoption with discussion about their biological mother’s adoption and the generational trauma they are determined to dismantle. Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Six of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier, and then they talk to Sam Miller, an adoptee living in Dallas, Texas. Raised in the Chicago area, Sam Miller’s father passed away when he was just 3 years old. Growing up, he didn’t have a close relationship with his mother. He could never understand how she could be so emotionally distant from her own “flesh and blood.” In 2014, his intuition that his relationship with his mother was “opaque,” became clear. He was fatally ill from a genetic condition, his parents were gone, and he found out that not only did they know that he would need a kidney transplant one day, but they refused to tell him that he was adopted. This conversation touches on that “aha” moment that some of us have when our being adopted suddenly becomes our new identity later in life and concludes with a happy message.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Five of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier, and then they talk to Andrea Ross, author of "Natural Selection: A Memoir of Adoption and Wilderness." Adopted at birth, Andrea grew up inhabiting two ecosystems: one was her tangible, adoptive family; the other her birth family, whose mysterious landscape was hidden from her. In her early twenties, while working as a ranger in Grand Canyon National Park, she embarked on a journey to discover where she came from and, ultimately, who she was. After many missteps and dead ends, she uncovered her heartbreaking and inspiring origin story. She began navigating the complicated turns of reuniting with her birth parents and their new families. By way of backcountry travel in the American West, she also came to define her true identity and place in the world not by adopted nor biological parents, but through an expanded concept of family.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Four of “The Primal Wound” by Nancy Newton Verrier, and then they talk to John Frey, who 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.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Three of “The Primal Wound” and then they talk to Jean Bliss Baron, who was adopted into a loving family when she was a few months old. She always knew she was adopted, but it wasn’t until she was 65-years-old when her biological family tracked her down through Ancestry.com. Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

In this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss Chapter Two from the book “The Primal Wound”, and then it’s Louise’s turn to tell her adoption story.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.

Today you’ll meet your podcast hosts, Sarah and Louise. On this episode we discuss Chapter One from the book “The Primal Wound”, and then we delve into Sarah’s adoption story.Here's our affiliate link for Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1741800 When you sign up, you get a $20 Amazon Gift card.And if you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon page here: https://yct.short.gy/auaRqTSupport the showTo 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.