Mind Your Own Karma - Beyond The Bandage

Michele Sickler was born and relinquished on Staten Island, NY in 1962.  She was placed with her adoptive family at 3 weeks of age after being in foster care.  She grew up in Queens, NY. Michele found her natural family almost 13 years ago, when she was 48.  At that time, she found out her mother was African American, which wasn't disclosed in her adoption papers.  She describes her reunion as...

Jack Rocco, M.D. has more than 30 years as a practicing orthopedic and cosmetic surgeon. His work has taken him to many countries and cultures, including to Japan, where he served in the U.S. Air Force, and to Madagascar, where, through a nonprofit organization he established, he helped treat hundreds of children with devastating orthopedic deformities, predominantly including club foot. Recycled,...

It was in the '90s when Carlos Munez was brought to the UK at 8 months old. As a transracial adoptee, he's experienced a loving home and a happy childhood, despite some big identity challenges. His relationship with adoption has been one of acceptance and growth from a child to adulthood. He's on a journey now to share his own story about being proud of who you are and making the best...

** Warning: This episode does mention criminal sexual aggression and may be triggering. Please listen responsibly, including choosing not to listen to this content. Seek professional help if you are struggling with emotions that surface from the content in this podcast. About Gigi: Born in 1969. Left in the hospital at birth. The name they gave her, Ann Malone. Three days later, she was added to t...

Jean-Pierre Weingarten has led a rich, challenging and exciting life—beginning with showing up on the planet in Paris, France. At six years old, his parents divorced and his mother remarried to an American diplomat who whisked his family around the world. And at twelve years of age, he was adopted by his stepfather. Once out of high school, Jean-Pierre planted his roots in the San Francisco Bay Ar...

Melissa is a domestic infant adoptee, adopted by her foster family when she was 1 year old. Melissa Ulven is a project coach and death planning educator based in Eugene, Oregon. When she's not busy with work, she embraces her eclectic interests, which have included--but are not limited to--longsword fencing, roller derby, and participating in dog sports with her majestic 7-year-old rough colli...

Jean was born in 1965 in Spokane, WA at a Salvation Army hospital. Her birth mother came from North Dakota. Jean had a mostly good adoptee experience, and her parents were really wonderful, good people. Her dad was an educator and her mother a nurse. Not to say there weren’t challenges growing up, as Jean's mother was addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol by the time Jean came into their...

Danielle Gaudette is a Body & Brain coach and author of Healing Tree: An Adoptee’s Story About Hurting, Healing and Letting the Light Shine Through. (This episode aired 9/19/23, so workshop information is outdated. However, see her link to her website in the notes below.) After her reunion with her birth mother 24 years ago, she began an energy practice to process the unraveling of her primal...

** Warning: This episode mentions non-consensual intercourse at the 3-minute mark. If you may be sensitive to that please forward past 3:00 on the audio. Please seek professional help if you find yourself struggling with some of the realizations that you may experience during this episode.** This week's interview is with Rodger Tellefson. Rodger was born in Sacramento, California at the Sutter...

Barbara Jean Liguori was born November 17, 1971 in the baby scoop era and adopted at 4 months old March 25, 1972.  She currently lives in Branford, CT, but was raised in the New Haven area most of her life. She has been married for 27 years and is a mother of 2 biological sons and a stepmother of one daughter who has lived with Barbara since she was 3 years old.  She has been in reunion with her b...

Ryan Anderson was born in Morocco and raised from 6 months old in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a transracial, transnational foundling and an LDA (Late Discovery Adoptee). He traveled the world for a decade in an attempt to escape the challenges of being an adopted person. Now he is more passionate than ever about raising awareness about mental health by sharing his lived experience.   RYAN'S LIN...

Have you noticed a sense of heightened tension among the adoptee community? It's time we come together to make positive changes. Let's make a choice to allow our triggers to be treasures. An opportunity to look within and live a life that we love! If you or someone you know would like to tell their adoption story on the podcast (anyone in the adoptee constellation), please send an email to...

Being given up for adoption at 3 years old, Corissa moved to the United States to be raised by a new family who didn’t look, sound, or act anything like what she was used to.  This led to a deep sense of abandonment and uncertainty about her identity. Corissa adapted. She had to. And in the process, she locked all of her needs, hurts, and traumas away where they wouldn’t interfere with the success...

Nicole is a domestic, transracial adoptee born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She grew up knowing she was adopted. Her father, a decorated Marine turned Catholic priest, adopted her after she had been left with him when she was three years old. Mother’s Day has always been particularly difficult for Nicole, despite being a mother herself. Having been raised by a single father, it defined the fact...

**WARNING!! This episode has multiple references to childhood trauma. You may choose not to listen. Please seek professional assistance if you find yourself struggling.** It was fall of 1964, and Sharon, Christy’s biological mother, was 16 years old and pregnant. Sharon made her way to a home for unwed mothers while her husband was in prison. On July 29, 1965, Christy entered the world. At Christy...

Paige Adams Strickland is a teacher and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is an adoptee in reunion from the Baby-Scoop-Era who searched and found her biological family in the 1980s. Paige has written books and also film and play reviews, found on her WordPress blog, as a way to elevate the voices and talents of members of the adoption constellation. Her two memoirs about being adopted are AKIN TO...

This is the perfect episode for adoptees who have faced dead ends in their search! Valerie Naiman is such a great storyteller, and she brought a story to the studio that you need to hear. She also wants you to believe in yourself, and don't give up. Valerie is an author, singer, songwriter, ontologist, environmentalist, ecovillage founder, travel and spiritual guide, beekeeper, and a mama to h...

In this episode, I interview two adoptees who are connected and who have larger-than-life adoption stories. Meet Kelli and Linda. Kelli was the product of a pre-arranged adoption through a local church and her biological mother’s doctor. Her adoptive parents waited for notification of her birth and brought her home at 3 days old. She had a happy life, and she says her adoptive mom was the absolute...

It's here! I'm finally sharing my own story on the podcast!! I'm closing in on 100 episodes (can you believe it??) So, what took me so long? You have to listen to find out! Join me for this very personal episode, where I turn the mic and the questions on myself :) If you or someone you know would like to tell their adoption story on the podcast (anyone in the adoptee constellation), pl...

DISCLAIMER: LISTEN AFTER DARK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG LISTENERS. STORY LOCATION: MODESTO, CA WHEN: 2009 Welcome to Maribel's nightmare.  In 2009, Maribel was a single parent and student living alone with her son. One night when she was studying she sensed a strange presence. _______________ Due to the LONG-LASTING EMOTIONAL FALLOUT that can be part of adoption, I high...

Frankie is one of our younger adoptees on the podcast, and he did an amazing job! Give this one a listen. Thank you, Frankie. Frankie Coan was born in Seoul, South Korea and adopted at five months old to a family in Portland, Oregon. Being adopted has posed many challenges in his life, most of them still unresolved. However, over the last couple years, he has been working diligently to try and hea...

Regina Goldman is an adoptee, Somatic Mindful Guided Imagery guide, a Clarity Breathwork practitioner, and Intuitive Reader. She was born in San Francisco and adopted by an Israeli mother and an American father. She grew up in the Bay Area, and from age 16 lived abroad in Israel, off and on, for a total of 8 years. She met both her birth parents at age 27.  Regina has been on a path of personal di...

Amy is a domestic adoptee, born in 1969. She was placed for adoption at birth. She grew up in a loving family and was well cared for. She was the "happy" adoptee, so grateful to her birth parents, her adopted parents and always trying to make everyone happy. She has reunited with some of her birth family over the past 5 years and recently came out of the FOG. She’s beginning to realize s...

***This podcast may contain triggering content about adoption.*** Dana was born at St. John’s Hospital in Cleveland in 1973. She was adopted through Catholic Charities in November of 1973. Her adoption was never kept a secret from her, but she still wondered where she came from. She was able to find her biological mother’s name after the state of Ohio released her OBC (Original Birth Certificate)....

DISCLAIMER: LISTEN AFTER DARK AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG LISTENERS. STORY LOCATION: RIVERBANK, CA WHEN: 2007 Welcome to my personal nightmare.  In November of 2007, I ordered some authentic dog tags online as gifts for children. What happened next made me regret that decision. _________ Due to the LONG-LASTING EMOTIONAL FALLOUT that can be part of adoption, I highly support...