Who Am I Really?

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,

Vonni learned from the neighbor’s child that she was adopted, but she was too young to know what it really meant. In her teen years, the yearning to understand her adoption led her on a journey an hour away to the adoption agency for her non-identifying information. It contained a horrible terrible story, that seemed to be questionable according to the social worker who documented her adoption. In the years that followed, Vonni continued to drive a long way to search the yearbook archives for her birth mother, only to be linked with her birth father first. When she found him he wasn’t interested in knowing Vonni, until his fond memories of her birth mother kicked in and they figured out she was a different daughter than he thought. He identified Vonni’s biological mother, and within months Vonni had met both parents.   Read Full TranscriptVonnie:                       00:

Tim was adopted into a Lutheran family and his curiosity about his roots started when he was very young. When he met his biological mother, she portrayed her husband as Tim’s father, but the truth came out when her daughters suggested a different version of the truth. It wasn’t until Tim’s early 70’s that he made paternal links and solved the mysteries of his life Read Full TranscriptTim:                            00:01               So they were staying with me and then they brought me along to the convention, into the Party afterwards and brought me to the party and these are old friends of theirs saying, well, who is this? Who is this? And again, they played the kind of joke routine, oh, he’s the, he’s relative doesn’t he, look like us, don’t you think he looks like us

Mitch’s parents adopted his older brother, then him. Then they got a surprise addition to the family. They had a great life outside of Chicago, but Mitch did feel somewhat sidelined by the attention paid to his youngest sibling. He learned as a teen that not everyone in his family was supportive of adoptions, and his attempts at reunion have been a frustrating set of rejections. The post 039 – I’m An Adult, But They’re Acting Like Children appeared first on Who Am I...Really? Podcast. Mitch (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/LIphgoyaHcbSN03BMZFuOIgijbi2RAsIcBtPAirJnSIfm1inQmZ69jRYf_bcYNIoK26I9R9apIk9ntkyDjWeunn8Htc?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=3.25 (00:03)): And I pulled up my shirt and I pointed to my belly button and I said, I don't know who this was attached to you do. You can look at yours and you know exactly who yours was attached to. I have never, in 45 years been in the same room as the woman that mine was attached to. I don't know who she is. Damon (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/LIphgoyaHcbSN03BMZFuO

As a kid, Rebecca was considered quirky. Unbeknownst to her, that quirkiness was an after effect of fetal alcohol syndrome. She tells the story of learning her birth mother’s lonely and troubled past, and the closure she finally got after she learned of her mother’s death. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/027-got-picture-mothers-sadness-though-people/ (027 – I Got A Picture Of My Mother’s Sadness Though Other People) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Rebecca (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/60Om6hfRU-PbCnhCogsqti4gALRy5FI1j1qFL8Gw9-Qcgeh0KJGGCl4fPFbK2ktFGpCkelob3nBwt9t5SDlqtB5KOsM?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=3.03 (00:03)): I went to bed that night and I woke up and I went back to the picture and I'm like, Oh my God. I was like, that's exactly how I looked in high school. Voices (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/60Om6hfRU-PbCnhCogsqti4gALRy5FI1j1qFL8Gw9-Qcgeh0KJGGCl4fPFbK2ktFGpCkelob3nBwt9t5SDlqtB5KOsM?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=16.71 (00:16)): Who am

Laura became a dear friend when we quickly bonded over being adoptees while working together. Laura had been searching for her family of origin for years, before the age of the internet, and the promise of consumer DNA testing linking long lost relatives. In this episode Laura reveals her childhood challenges to bond with her adopted family who were open about her adopted status in unhealthy ways. Their mental health issues and the emotional childhood that Laura lived, drove her desire to find her family origin, as the wondered about her biological mother every day. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/002-laura-r/ (002 Laura R – When the Law is in the Way, Try DNA) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Laura:                          https://www.temi.com/editor/t/BZSvbPJpWyD2WllJZhjAVI1LlI2tB8TobcLo78q5MF4ZTvQWecn8hS7j7

For Shelby, growing up as a Korean adoptee left her feeling “othered” as she didn’t quite fit into her community. The Korean school her parents tried to raise her in wouldn’t accept her either. She was forced to live in between her culture and what Americans would or would not let her be. On a heritage trip to South Korea she experienced the heavy emotions of reunion with her birth mother, the challenge of remaining a secret, and witnessed the frustrations of her brother who couldn’t locate his biological family. Shelby also gained a real compassion for her adopted mother whose reasons for adopting brought Shelby and her mother closer together. This is Shelby’s journey. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/106-beautiful-truth/ (106 – Beautiful Truth) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Shelby (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/tExgVbjLnQ9sOuRzYQsSQ9q4pQ_uXUHKeOPuUZNCH2zYs43r0DaF4uPW786FXmXhG5jJ3jzEHexaX2W54SfE0ypJANI?loa

Breanna learned that she was fostered then adopted but for financial gain and she described her home as a hostile environment. Her adopted mother was abusive, and Breanna ultimately ran away from home to the military. But before bootcamp she contacted her birth mother, and learned the hard truth about her conception. In reunion, she was forced to watch her birth father’s judgment for his actions. The post http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com/102-its-always-maybe/ (102 – It’s Always Maybe) appeared first on http://www.whoamireallypodcast.com (Who Am I...Really? Podcast). Breanna (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/gCp8NHpfktv-TCqezrN49J0XPmPNu5uQpHktXXL3X8r7Hv5gqtD5g3Pyx2Hyyy-uJhUuyBeP92u6J6BRHgRL3vzwlEs?loadFrom=SharedLink&ts=5.77 (00:05)): She feels really guilty and I think that's why she doesn't want me to hate her. She thinks that I should hate her and I don't hate her. It does make me angry now that like you're wasting time. We could be like, we could be going forward, but like I don't h