Who Am I Really?

Jennifer is a reunited adoptee from Pittsburgh. She’s a petite, white blonde of European descent whose adoptive parents are a Spanish man and a Mexican woman. Through her search, she found both of her natural parents are deceased, and she had half brothers on both sides, both named Tom. Unbeknownst to Jen, her maternal half-brother attended the same high school she did and bullied her! On her maternal side, she experienced secondary rejection which will never be resolved because her grandmother developed dementia and passed away. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/046-i-am-adopted-it-is-who-i-am/ (046 – I Am Adopted, It Is Who I Am) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Jennifer (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/hqjB_-FZdmap-fdy_D1JQC9ngV-vfIh7u3jhDRWCz1YkRftRtdrOOSb6VERgyg29_UnC4tqevSSA93_Vh7E0Mqm18kE?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=4.31 (00:04)): She literally told me, she goes, you know, you focus too much on being adopted and you ask too m

Brenda was born in California, grew up on the east coast and lives in Texas. She’s the child of a military family that has lived all over. When a school project required her to ask her adoptive mother about her family tree at eight years old, she was shown her non-identifying information for the first time. While the offer was open to review her information anytime, Brenda felt like the topic of her adoption was stressful for her mother, so she never asked. After the birth of her first son, Brenda sought her birth parents, definitively identifying her birth father first. He was emotionally ready to welcome her in. Finding her birth mother, she saw the mirror image of her self. Unfortunately, the woman was so traumatized following her pregnancy and the adoption process, she wasn’t as open to Brenda’s return. But the door isn’t completely closed. Read Full TranscriptBrenda:         She just started crying and she just said, you know it,

Jenny journaled about her birth mother from an early age. She grew up in a loving family, but the urge to find her birth family was always there. When Ohio opened it birth records, she obtained some vital information that led her to her birth mother on Facebook and later to her birth father. But she never expected to learn she had a full sister! The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/033-sister-reunited-didnt-know/ (033 – My Sister Reunited Too, But Didn’t Know About Me) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Jenny (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/qJLYZBStNE14c_xfeh2rk1J--476DEoMmtOCCVj0W1GUgNPhBR6ST6SdsXbUZoTF0VsHMSUhSfi2u9L9cBtyp9CGF_I?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=2.31 (00:02)): I called them and I told them who I was and I said, you know her name and he's like, Oh yeah, yeah, that's who I am. And I mean, he didn't try to act like that wasn't him. And um, he just told me a whole bunch of stuff and that, that was one of the things he told me was, Oh

As a child Denise’s family blamed her for a tragedy that took the life of her younger brother. They mistreated Denise and her tyrannical stepfather ultimately saw the children as a means to his own financial gain. She took drastic steps to get herself kicked out of the house on a path to her own independence. Today, Denise has found love in a supportive husband. Now she knows what love feels like, and has the experiences that come from a supportive extended family. But her own son, who didn’t know his own father growing up, now has a similar nagging feeling that Denise had to connect with her own family. She has resolved to surround herself with positivity and love in order to move on in a positive direction with her life. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/007-denise-n/ (007 – I’m Great With My Family, They Love Me For Me) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Denise:          

Julie describes herself as very independent from her parents’ influences and drastically different than her older adopted brother. She tells the story of finding her birth mother thanks to open access legislation in Australia and the gentle influence of a psychic she visited for fun. When her birth mother shared that her birth father could only be one person because there were only two men in her life, it took a long time, a bit of disappointment, and some DNA investigation and luck to determine there had to be a third man. Listen as Julie tells her story of going back and forth across the globe from Los Angeles to Australia in search of answers. Read Full TranscriptJulie:                           https://www.temi.com/editor/t/7Cfm-MuexaTe6SKdoheqHhtDI-phDKfrb7yBqAtiPJkjVgWzm4oivIKkak1vWUiWCcH154d1FE-d5PaeiRgxugp5EGk?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=2.56 (

Megan says she put her adopted mother through the ringer emotionally when she was a teenager. She thinks that’s partially because of her anger with her birth mother over her relinquishment. Most adoptees have no clue whom they’re setting out to find when searching for biological relatives, but Megan knew precisely who her birth mother was and what she looked like. In reunion, she found her half-brother who knew Megan’s birth father’s identity, because they were friends. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/051-2/ (051 – The Black Sheep Rocks The Boat) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Megan (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/pFpKuJ7KfDYifki0Uo20FOKBqAyfIthThPc4LUH521ZaH6dI_tvDkSzChRrDfmU4VaxeRvMPPDTgOPKwzWd1b-xUQ0A?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=4.88 (00:04)): He was basically robbed. You know, I felt so terrible for him. He was robbed of a child. He was only 23 when I was born and he didn't have any other children after me. So I was only titled and I felt reall

Angie lived a split life as a child in small-town Mississippi. During the week her mother had her in all kinds of activities and her stepfather was her rock. On the weekends her dad exposed her to alcohol, drugs, and abuse. Through it all, she suspected that she was adopted but her mother lied about it for 19 years. In reunion, Angie learned that her birth mother had seen her several times as a little girl on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. She got healing from her birth mother who said she always loved Angie and developed a cherished bond with her paternal grandmother who helped her navigate her emotions over her biological father. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/044-never-met-saw/ (044 – She Never Met Me, But She Saw Me) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Angie (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/0EFKtduZRuJzaQyqY00BbMMTs8sTkYjA3eQm7o6Ni4ddc3N4c5bcriU-Wnt5Jysapp-7qyeyShKWvHGieTwIOvk3keY?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=4.5 (00:04)): When we got to our ho

At 16 years old, Ron decided to satisfy his curiosity about his first family. But his search was challenging. He was born on a South Carolina Air Force Base that had closed, the internet didn’t have the reach that it has now, and AncestryDNA’s connections didn’t help. He recruited the help of a search angel who recognized important information in the search that Ron hadn’t seen before. In the end, his mother was glad to be found, and he got some answers about himself and his family. Check out Ron’s site http://www.findingtruefamily.com (FindingTrueFamily.com) The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/026-ive-got-second-mom-can-love/ (026 – I’ve Got A Second Mom And I Can Love Them Both) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Ron (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/HfLlDzW3WjL3GW2PaGyYqk9hyuI5UwoCYZXH3kGHPY_Elyagep1aHuvhuPYIYGfvpx9JTiG05CGXGE2mvwsrWorrIOY?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=3.25 (00:03)): I pick up my phone, I start dialing the number and my hands are

I figured since I started season 6 with some personal stories of what I had been going on in my life I should end this season with an update on how things have been going personally. I wanna thank everyone who reached out with support and love for the things our family has endured. Damon Hey it’s me! I figured since I started season 6 with some personal stories of what I had been going on in my life I should end this season with an update on how things have been going personally. I wanna thank everyone who reached out with support and love for the things our family has endured  When we left off, my mother Veronica was in a 96 hour hold at a mental facility which luckily went through a weekend so it was actually more than 96 hours in total.  She was released on a Monday because they couldn’t hold her any longer.  The determined my mom was not homicidal and she was not suicidal - and in their words, "it’s not not illegal to be demented" After all she is still an adult and she was r

Jim, who now lives in Delaware, said growing up he had no desire to search for his first family. After his parents passed and he found his adoption name change form, his feelings about a search changed. While he missed his biological mother, one of her lifelong friends shared some intimate pieces of the woman’s life, including his birth father's name. Jim made the trip to Texas to meet his birthfather, who felt re-energized in his final months by Jim’s emergence. This is Jim’s journey.  Support this podcast

Lisa called me from New Jersey to share her story of growing up in an abusive home. She had one unrelated adopted sister who didn’t have the same experience in their house that Lisa had. Lisa always felt like the odd person out and hoped that reunion with her birth mother would be a rescue from those feelings.The opposite was true with her maternal connection which fell apart twice, but Lisa’s paternal ties have made her feel accepted for her nature versus how she was… or wasn’t nurtured. This is Lisa’s journey Support this podcast

Michelle, who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, shared her story of growing up in the care of a workaholic mom in a family that she didn’t look like at all. After moving from Hawaii to Africa, then back to the states, Michelle finally decided to search for herself, and therefor her biological family. After a random layover in the south, she met her birth mother and siblings, found her birth father through DNA, but can’t boast of a strong relationship with either biological parent. Still she’s thankful for having gotten confirmation from her search. This is Michelle’s journey…  Support this podcast

Veronica, called me from New Orleans, Louisiana. She tells her tale of insensitivity within her adoptive family, even with an adoptive mother who was an adoptee herself. Veronica struggled to conduct a search for her roots after Hurricane Katrina threw everything into upheaval in the Big Easy. When she finally found her birth mother, the woman was apathetic to their connection, turning toxic. Now, Veronica wants to find her half brother, and her paternal roots. This is Veronica’s journey.  Support this podcast

Amy called me from Highland Township, outside of Detroit, Michigan. She described her early years dealing with the insecurities of her adopted mother who defaulted to threats to try to control Amy’s curiosity about her adoption. On her search, she learned that her biological mother had been sent away, the man on her birth certificate was not her birth father, and her birth mother’s family had some significant secrets in its history. Secrets that Amy knows, but they don’t. This is Amy’s journey.  Support this podcast

April called me from New York, New York, but her story originated in New England. She is a transracial adoptee whose search took her to a quintessential New England town and the connection to her birth mother’s former home which put April and the woman on the phone that night. But the pain of April’s conception was too much, so the pair never connected. Now April holds out hope that one day she’ll know the man with whom she shares DNA. Until then she maintains a strong foundation in her own identity. This is April’s journey.  Support this podcast

Andrew called me from Connecticut after a move from Maryland. He told me that he’s been through a lot in his life. He’s a transracial, international adoptee who grew up in a predominantly white community there in Connecticut. He shares how he strode to overachieve in athletics and performing arts to try to overshadow his brown skin, the unmistakable mark of being an adoptee in his community. However he credits his strong Catholic faith for getting him through everything, including coming out as a gay man. This is Andrew’s journey.  Andrew (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/fg3W_Fs7UVw-H_Or5OPpAs0TGNl5xVJzumKGPAFj_-SWnxNzRcA5Z0ExA5b3ypGYFXk_3IE8lzuvtgembSFNiFsIiTo?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=2.61 (00:02)): On top of all the other portions of my identity, I prayed my little heart out because as an adoptee here, as someone brought into this family, my biggest fear was that they could potentially send me back because I'm gay. So with that fear, I prayed even harder. Damon (https://www.temi.com/edit

I planned to bring the show back this week, but the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 have been rough. When you listen to this one, you'll understand why... Support this podcast

Sara was the baby in her family of four biological half brothers to one another, and one other brother who was also adopted like her just like her. When she hit puberty, a naturally more emotional time in our lives, she lost her grandmother, someone who never made her feel like an adoptee. She found her way out of the darkness from a suicide attempt and substance addiction, but still she hadn’t escaped depression. When she found her biological mother things started out well, but they turned grim when Sara caught the woman in lies about her biological father’s identity. In the end, her journey has taken a turn for the positive, but she lost many relationships that were important to her along the way. Still, Sara says she has no regrets.   The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/014-sarah-g/ (014 – I Would Not Have Made It Without My Faith) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Sara (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/rXdU24xrheQnUfoDmUrZgeoUcedAQG

Cindy had one sister growing up in a mormon family in Las Vegas. But the two adoptees looked very different: Cindy’s blue eyes and blond hair were in stark contrast with her sister’s olive skin and brown hair. She was a very sick child battling illness throughout her life. She never had a burning desire to locate her biological family until she gave birth to her second child. Cindy really wanted to know more about the hereditary traits she was passing down to her children as her own health began to decline. With hope in her heart Cindy used Adoption Registry Connect (http://www.adopteeconnect.com), to locate her biological mother, almost immediately. Cindy’s mother admitted some painful family history that was responsible for her illness, but at least she had the answers she desperately needed to manage her own health. The post 008 – She Knew She Had To Do This For Me appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Support this podcast

Katelyn followed her older adopted sister into rebellion against their adopted mother’s rule. Years later her husband suggested they do DNA tests when she got pregnant. Seeing relationships online she hadn’t considered before, she searched for her birth parents, uncovering family secrets and helping other adoptees in the family tree find theirs. At times, the search left Katelyn very puzzled, even totally dejected. She found her birth mother and sisters happy to meet her, and her birth father in prison. Read Full TranscriptKatelyn:                       https://www.temi.com/editor/t/u_SOfMFD9iH2hxdlE9hoKdioF655U6j8_UdzNCwVGe09z52U-znepeKscrq9tiS2lA-wGveDJ6T1kjsJL0yCJQjZPl8?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=5.73 (00:05)               I was never asked about my adoption in any depth it was mentioned,