Adoption Advocacy Podcast
by Francie Frisbie
Validation. Connection. Support. Three things greatly needed in the adoption community. Adoption is not the fairytale often portrayed by society, it involves a complexity of emotions. Often times, those affected by adoption have their voices silenced, and they feel alone. By sharing the stories and experiences of those close to adoption, this podcast aims at validating the dichotomy that is adoption, connecting those with similar experiences, and offering support as we navigate this journey. By listening, validating one another's feelings, this creates a deep connection and allows us to better support one another.
Episodes
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February 2021: Exploring Black history month and transracial adoption with Victoria DiMartile
This is the February 2021 episode of the podcast. Today we have Victoria DiMartile with Wreckage and Wonder on to discuss the history of transracial adoption and adoption in the black community. We discuss Victoria's story of growing up as a transracial adoptee in a small white Kentucky town....
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January 2021- Kirsta Bowman: adoption agencies and ethics
This is the January 2021 Episode of Adoption Advocacy Podcast; Kirsta Bowman comes on the podcast, and we discuss how adoption agencies operate in the United States, and the unethical practices used by many. Kirsta shares with us the story of her own adoption, and how in the search for her...
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Stephanie Oyler, Melissa Guida- Richards and Ferera Swan- the experience of being a transracial/transethnic adoptee during the holidays, especially during this political environment
This is the December 2020 episode. Today we chat with Stephanie Oyler, Melissa Guida- Richards, and Ferera Swan - three transracial and transethnic adoptees. We discuss their collective experiences with the holidays, and they explain why it is so important to hold space for adoptees who come from...
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November 2020: Tiffany Henness with Adoptee Influencer Network
This is the November 2020 episode of the podcast. Today we have Tiffany Henness with adoptee influencer network as our special guest. Tiffany discusses how she emerged from the fog after giving birth to her first born, it was an experience that brought her closest to experience of her first…
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Brittany Nash: Discussing Race and Family Separation
Brittany Nash is a Black domestic transracial adoptee and the founder of The Daily Adoptee blog and soon to be online publication that highlights the experience and expertise of transracial adoptees. As an adoptee, turned foster child, who from Southern MN, she uses her experience of growing up…
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Kate Carper: An adoptive parents experience with special needs and transracial adoption
Kate Carper comes on the podcast to discuss her experience with adoption. Kate tells us how she grew up with adopted siblings, and always felt like adoption was a part her future family making plan. After having two biological children, Kate and her husband explored how they could help a child in...
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Matt Sevenoaks- An adoptees journey toward reunion
Matt comes on the podcast to discuss his experience as an adoptee, and how his life experiences shaped him. We also discuss his heartfelt reunion. Connect with Matt: [email protected] Twitter Instagram Article For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this...
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An interview with Geri Pfieffer with America's Taken
Geri Pfieffer comes on the podcast to discuss the reality of America's child welfare system. Geri began working and creating America's Taken when she lost her grandson to child protective services. I encourage everyone to take a listen to todays episode to further understand what is going on in...
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Laureen Pittman: The Lies the Bind
Laureen Pittman comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as an adoptee, and her book "The Lies that Bind." Growing up, adoption didn't mean that much to Laureen, it was just something that she knew to be a fact, but didn't think much further on it. As she got older, Laureen became more...
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Jesse Bradley: A journey of faith and adoption
Jesse Bradley comes on the podcast to discuss how life's twist and turns lead him to a journey of faith and adoption. Jesse was once a professional soccer player, whose career was cut short when a medication he took to prevent malaria built up toxic levels in his system, and he became too sick to...
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Cassandra Adams: Finding out one in Donor Conceived through a DNA kit
Cassandra Adams comes on the podcast to discuss how she discovered she was actually donor conceived, and the man who had raised her was not actually her biological father. We discuss the complexities of being a donor conceived person, and what needs to change to make donor conception more…
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Linda L. Franklin: First Mother and author of the book "Ill Always Carry You"
Linda L. Franklin comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as a first mother who placed her son for adoption during the baby scoop era. Linda tells us her story of placing her son through the Gladney Agency, her life after placement, her reunion, and what lead to her writing her book "Ill...
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Paige Adams Strickland: Adoptee and author of the books "Akin to the Truth" and "After the Truth"
Today on the podcast, Paige Adams Strickland discusses her experience with adoption, and her two books "Akin to the Truth" and "After the Truth". Paige tells us about her adoptee experience as a child, and what lead to her searching for her biological roots. We also discuss what lead to her...
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Kelli Belt: Story of a mothers journey through adopting her daughter from Ethiopia, and now helping other parents with their adoptive children
Today on the podcast we have Kelli Belt. She is an adoptive mother and created of the Podcast "Beauty is Rising". Kelli discusses her journey with adopting her daughter from Ethiopia, the process to get her to the united states, parenting a child with her daughters background, and what it has...
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Blake Alexis Noble: Adoptee discusses his journey with adoption, from a difficult childhood to navigating life now as a young adult
Blake comes on the podcast to discuss his experience as an adoptee born in the United States, and adopted in the UK. Blake discusses his difficult childhood and his feelings about being an adoptee. We also discuss Blakes views on adoption and adoption in the LGBTQ community. Connect with Blake:...
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Laura Gray: A first mother's journey with adoption
Laura Gray comes on the podcast to discuss her experience with adoption as a first mother. Laura, as a teen, found herself pregnant for a second time after already having twins. With the help of her mother, she looked into placing her child for adoption. Soon after starting a prayer chain she was...
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Elena Hall: Russian Adoptee and author of "Through Adopted Eyes" and "Through Adopted Hearts"
Elena Hall comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as an adoptee from Russia. Elena discusses her experience as an international adoptee, and navigating the complex emotions surrounding adoption. We discuss her feelings about Russia no longer allowing international adoption and how her...
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Christian Mayer: Chilean adoptee, from adversity and addiction to reunion and advocacy
Today on the podcast, Christian Mayer discusses his experience as an international/ transracial adoptee from Chile. Christian tells us how he began experiencing challenges as an adolescent surrounding his adoption, and how this later lead to a reunion with his first family, and struggle with...
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Marcie Keithley: First mother and author of the memoir "The Shoebox Effect"
Marcie comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as a first mother of loss to adoption. Marcie and I discuss what lead her to the decision to place her first daughter for adoption, their reunion, as well as her advocacy in the adoption community. She currently serves as Vice President and...
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Ferera Swan: A journey of self discovery and advocacy
Ferera Swan comes on the podcast to discuss her journey as an adoptee. We discuss what its like to be an advocate in the adoption community, as well as navigating the complexity of reunion. I am super excited to interview Ferera, her advocacy has made such a difference in the adoption community.…
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A conversation about adoption with my Dad, David Frisbie
Today on the podcast my Dad and I have a conversation about adoption, particularly my adoption! We discuss his life and background and his decision to adopt. We also discuss what the process was like for him, how he remembers my childhood, and how my advocacy has changed his views on adoption/…
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Receiving my files from Gladney: A Birthday Episode
Today on the podcast I read my adoption file. I only recently discovered that this is something an adoptee can request from the agency they were adopted from; and, in this episode, I open my files for the first time. In these files I discover some information about what transpired before my...
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Kevin: Adoptee who submits a DNA test to discover his Identity, and also discovers he's a first father
Kevin comes on the podcast to discuss his journey as a transracial adoptee. Kevin always felt positive about his adoption experience, and it wasn't until the death of his adoptive mother, who encouraged him to search for his biological roots, that Kevin did a DNA test. Upon receiving the results…
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Lyndy Stokes: Adoptee and author of Adopted Twice Study
Lyndy comes on the podcast to discuss her adoptee journey. Lyndy tells us how her first parents were married, but felt they could not provide a good home for a baby and decided to place her for adoption at birth. After struggling as a child with feelings around being adopted, she had a reunion…
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Jana Rupnow: Adoptee, Adoptive Parent, Fertility Psychotherapist and author of Three Makes Baby
Jana Rupnow comes on the podcast to discuss her experiences with adoption and what lead her to a career in donor conception counseling. Jana, along with her twin brother, were adopted shortly after birth in the 1970s. Jana discusses how she always saw her adoption as a positive experience, and…
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Kimi Kawabori: Finding Healing through connecting with your ancestors
Kimi Kawabori comes on the podcast to discuss her adoptee journey and how she has found healing through clairvoyance and connecting with her ancestors. Kimi grew up in a conservative household, she was raised by parents who had been imprisoned in the WWII Japanese internment camps. Growing up…
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Lorri Antosz Benson: a birthmothers story
**note when Lorri mentions Phil, she is speaking of Phil Donahue. She worked on his show during the time she placed her daughter. Lorri Antosz Benson comes of the podcast to discuss her experience placing her daughter for adoption in the early 1980s. Lorri authored two books about adoption "To…
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Maria Hernandez: Adoptee from the Philippines, searching to put together the missing pieces
Today on the podcast, Maria Hernandez shares her story as an adoptee. She tells us how she was given to her adoptive father by her birth mother in the Philippines, and later raised for several years by her adoptive aunt while her father relocated and set up a life for them in Canada. Maria...
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Leanda Weimer: Attachment Focused Therapy, and the importance of adoptive parents working on their own issues and attachment style when adopting
Leanda Weimer comes on the podcast to discuss her work in attachment focused therapy. We discuss how important it is for adoptive parents to learn their attachment style, as well as do their own emotional work when choosing to parent through adoption. Leanda discusses how adoptive parents must...
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Keith Sciarillo: Late discovery adoptee, making his own path toward self-discovery
Keith Sciarillo comes on the podcast to discuss his journey toward self discovery, and his experiences with adoption. Keith is a late discovery, transracial adoptee who entered reunion with his birth family shortly after discovering his adoption status. We discuss Keith story, how what he has…
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Dr. Linda Russell- A grandmother of loss discusses her journey with adoption, and the importance of attachment and trauma in adoption
Dr. Linda Russell comes on the podcast to discuss her journey with adoption. In 1997, Linda's daughter experienced an unplanned pregnancy, and Linda's family was faced with the decision of whether to parent the child, or place the child for adoption. Living in the bible belt, and being…
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Ereka Howard: Using your story to inspire others
Ereka Howard comes on the podcast to discuss her adoption journey. Ereka discusses how her biological mother and grandmother came to the United States from Cuba on the Mariel Boatlift. At birth, Ereka was placed in foster care and then was later adopted from a local adoption agency in Dallas,...
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Brooke Randolph: Adoptive mother and adoption therapist
Brooke Randolph comes on the podcast to discuss her journey with adoption. Brooke is an adoptive parent, but long before adopting, she became interested in studying the psychology of adoption. Brooke helped found an international adoption agency, and specialized helping adoptive parents prepare…
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Chris Breedlove: late discovery adoptee on a journey of forgiveness through compassion
Chris Breedlove comes on the podcast to share his story as a late discovery adoptee. Chris is the author of the book "Diehr Breedlove", a memoir chronicling his search for self-discovery, and reunion with his birth family. He describes how his relationship with each of his birthparents have...
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Spencer Sonnier: A special fathers day episode with my half brother, Spencer
A few weeks ago, it was confirmed through ancestry DNA that the man who is believed to be my birthfather, William, is actually, my birth father. While we all assumed this to be the case, its been a kind of surreal experience accepting this as a fact into my life. This week I wanted to do a…
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Denise Defoe: Author of the book "They Chose Me"
Denise comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as an adoptee, and her journey from anger and pain to compassion and appreciation of her adoption experience. Born addicted and left in the hospital by her birthmother, Denise was placed in foster care. When her adoptive parents met her, they...
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Jennifer Fredricksen: A special mother day episode- exploring the generational impacts of the mother/child bond
Jennifer comes on the podcast discuss generational trauma, and its impact on families. Jennifer tells her complex story of how adoption, and disruption of the mother/child bond affected her family for generations. When Jennifer's daughter became pregnant as a senior in high school, she, along…
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Michael- Colombian born and adopted to America as a child, he is now facing deportation
Michael is a transracial adoptee who was brought to America from Colombia at the age of two. His adoptive parents did not complete paperwork in their home state to finalize his adoption, and thus he was never made an American citizen. Michael is a husband and father of 2, with one on the way…
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Renee Gelin with Saving Our Sisters (S.O.S.)
Renee Gelin comes on the podcast to tell her story, and discuss her organization, Saving Our Sisters (S.O.S). Renee lost her son to adoption in 2011. She lacked the resources and support at the time to parent her son, and believed she was doing the best for him by placing him for adoption. After...
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Amanda Medina- The contradictions adoptees face, and exploring your story
Amanda comes on the podcast to discuss her experience as an adopte, born in Colombia, adopted, and raised in Sweden. We discuss the roles grief, guilt, and attachment play in adoption. Amanda also explains the contradictory emotions that are constantly at play for adoptees. We wrap up by…
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Kelsey Freeman- finding your own moral compass while navigating adoption
Kelsey discusses her journey to becoming a potential adoptive parent. We discuss her experience with three disrupted adoptions, and how her views on adoption, especially the ethics of it, have changed. We discuss what lead Kelsey to speak out about the unethical practices of adoption agencies…
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BONUS CALL TO ACTION- Desiree Stephens with Access Connecticut
For all adoptees and birthfamily interested in helping, please write a brief testimony explaining why opening the records is so important to you and email them to: [email protected] Be sure to include your testimony is about Senate Bill 972 THIS IS A SPECIAL CALL TO ACTION PODCAST EPISODE....
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Melissa Guida- Richards- Late discovery adoptee, hidden racial identity
** note- in this episode Melissa discusses adoptee suicide. She states one in four adoptees commit suicide- but what is meant is attempt. Adoptees are 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than non adoptees. Melissa comes on the podcast to discuss what its like to be an transracial, late…
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Monica Hall- healing with compassion, and an open heart; an adoptee and birthmother story
Monica comes on the podcast to share her experiences as an adoptee, and as a birthmother. She discusses the obstacles she has had to overcome, reunion with her birth family and daughter, and finding a path toward healing. We talk about the compassion needed in the adoption community, and the...
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Vin Adoptee- a journey from bullying and adversity to helping others
** note in this episode Vin discusses adoptee suicide. The exact statistic is that adoptees are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than non adoptees. Vin Adoptee comes on the podcast to tell his story. We discuss what its like to be an international adoptee, racial issues, bullying, and...
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Michaela- having a sibling whose an adoptee
Michaela discusses what it's like to have a sibling whose an adoptee. We talk about how her views on adoption have changed, and supporting the adoptee in your life! For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit:...
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Destini- a story of the resilience and faith of a late-teen adoptee
Destini tells her story. We discuss trauma, grief, and healing. Connect with Destini: Instagram For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit: http://www.adoptionadvocacypodcast.com Find the podcast on social media: Facebook...
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Trailer & Introduction- about adoption advocacy podcast, and creator and host Francie Frisbie
An introduction to the mission of this podcast, and a little background on creator and host Francie Frisbie. For more information on Adoption Advocacy Podcast, and to participate in this episodes discussion board, please visit: http://www.adoptionadvocacypodcast.com Find the podcast on social...
About this show
Validation. Connection. Support. Three things greatly needed in the adoption community. Adoption is not the fairytale often portrayed by society, it involves a complexity of emotions. Often times, those affected by adoption have their voices silenced, and they feel alone. By sharing the stories and experiences of those close to adoption, this podcast aims at validating the dichotomy that is adoption, connecting those with similar experiences, and offering support as we navigate this journey. By listening, validating one another's feelings, this creates a deep connection and allows us to better support one another.
Hosted by
Francie Frisbie