Once Upon A Time...In Adopteeland

Jennifer Hiltebeitel (HILL - ta - bite - el) was adopted from foster care as a preschooler and grew up to be a fourth-grade teacher with a Master's degree in Multicultural Education.  She met members of her biological family between the ages of 17-21 and is honored to understand pieces of her story that were once missing. She has been married to her husband Eric for 24 years - the p...

During times in this episode, there is sensitive content that may be traumatizing to some audiences. Listener discretion advised. Katie is an adoptee who has always known she was adopted. Abuse and neglect by adoptive parents growing up led her to feeling unloved or unwanted by them. As a younger person, Katie felt so broken and joined Al-Anon and (ACA) Adult Children of Alcoholics for h...

Shelby Redfield Kilgore is a Korean International Adoptee. In 2002, when Shelby was a senior in high school, she first shared her story as an adoptee in a short student documentary. It was a very healing experience for her, and also a way to spread awareness and education about her lived experiences as an adoptee. Ever since then, she knew one day she wanted to create a safe space for others to te...

Dr. Syb Brown, affectionately called Dr. Syb is a Vanderbilt-educated, Harvard trained, two-time Emmy award-winning multimedia journalist, author, international speaker and lecturer. Currently Dr. Syb is a tenured professor of journalism at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. References: Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier, Coming Home to Self by Nancy Verrier, Adoption Healing by Joe Soll, LCSW, Journ...

Melissa Corkum and Lisa host the podcast, "The Adoption Connection". She is a Certified Enneagram Coach and helps members of the constellation. Her bio states: "M any adoptees struggle with issues of identity and belonging. Some have never met another adoptee or may have been the only person of color in their town.  As an adoptee and adoptive mom, she is passionate about giving the adoption c...

Adopted at birth, Edward Di Gangi was born and raised in New York City. Although he knew for most of his life that he was adopted, it wasn’t until he approached his 70th birthday that he began to search for the identity of his birth mother. His journey and the many surprising discoveries he made as he searched are recounted in his memoir,  The Gift Best Given . Edward and his wife now li...

In conclusion, Tina graciously hosts this episode and asks thoughtful questions of Jennifer. As friends, they often have great exchanges and decided others might benefit from what they learn in conversation about each other as adoptees. Music by Corey Quinn

Gail L. Taylor-Tubbs, 71 years of age and Birth Mom to Andrew Joseph Berry Gail married Johnny Tubbs in 1993, with a blended family of six Children (first-born son, my second-born/deceased son,  four step children, 17-Grand Children, 1-Great Grandson and Twins on the way in October 2022. In 1977, when Gail's deceased son Christopher was an infant, she discovered that Massage wa...

Lynn Grubb returns to the podcast to give us an update on her adoption journey as a published author of her memoir, "Hidden Identity" on the Adoption Experience podcast. https://theadoptedgenealogist.podbean.com/ Lynn is a Peruvian American adoptee as well as a parent by birth and adoption. She has published multiple essays at her blog, No Apologies For Being Me and in various adoption anthol...

Bio-Melinda is a baby scoop era adoptee - meaning her adoption was done in secret, by The Cradle Adoption Agency in Evanston, Ill. in 1947. Her true identity was sealed by law for 99 years. Her secret journey to find her biomother began in 1970 and in 1980 was finally found. In the course of forty years she became an activist and advocate for adoptee rights; wrote articles for adopters Sandra Hank...

Patrick McMahon is an artist, writer and musician. Born in Chicago, he has lived most of his life in the Midwest and California, where he currently resides in San Diego. His book, Becoming Patrick, a memoir of adoption, was a San Diego Book Awards Finalist and is currently available worldwide. He’s been active in adoption education and reform since 1999 and has conducted expressive arts seminars n...

Janet Nordine, MS, LMFT, RPT-S is an Adoption Compassionate and Competent Therapist working with all members of the Adoption Constellation (adoptee, adoptive parent, birth parent and family members), and their supporters. Janet has advanced training to meet the needs of the Adopted Child and Family. She is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, a Trust Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) Practi...

Danielle Orr is a writer, painter and animal lover. She resides in California and is currently working on publishing her memoir. References mentioned in this episode: The Adoptee Voices Writing Group created by Sara Easterly; adoptee-voices.com http://www.jeanhouston.com/Jean-Houston/ ervinlaszlo.com https://www.ramdass.org/ https://pemachodronfoundation.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX2Vm1...

Recommended resources by adoptee podcasters, Lisa Ann and Jennifer Dyan Books: Ann Fessler “The Girls Who Went Away” "The Gathering Place" - Emma Stevens "The Lies that Bind" - Laureen Pitman "Tree of Strangers" - Barbara Sumner  "Searching for Mom: A Memoir" - Sara Easterly @Because Adoption (Mary Herbert) on Instagram Adoptee Voices Writing Group founded by Sara Easterly (Co-facilitators; R...

Julian Washio-Collette is a baby scoop era domestic double-adoptee, relinquished and adopted as an infant, and relinquished and adopted a second time at the age of nine. His life spans a diverse range of experiences, including extensive touring of the United States by bicycle, living in Buddhist and Catholic monasteries and other intentional communities, and a lifelong commitment to healing and gr...

Julian Washio-Collette is a baby scoop era domestic double-adoptee, relinquished and adopted as an infant, and relinquished and adopted a second time at the age of nine. His life spans a diverse range of experiences, including extensive touring of the United States by bicycle, living in Buddhist and Catholic monasteries and other intentional communities, and a lifelong commitment to healing and gr...

Adam Anthony is a current resident of Murfreesboro, TN. He is the son of two parents and a brother of one sister in his immediate adoptive family. He has Adam has a Master of Organizational Leadership degree, Bachelor of Science in communications, and is a newly accepted Doctoral of Education in Leadership candidate. He is a communications administrator for Vanderbilt University.  Adam volunt...

Sandi C. is an international adoptee from Panama. Most of her life has been in the midwest but she returned to the DMV area about a year & a half ago. She is a social worker whose 30-year career has included time in mental health, adoption, and foster care. She has been in reunion with her birthmother and maternal family for 18 years. Music by Corey Quinn

Mary Herbert as a mom of four biological children, has walked through parenthood as an adoptee trying to understand more about her own childhood through raising children of my own.   Each chapter of Mary's life has brought new questions and curiosities that many will never understand. Walking through parenthood, or young adulthood or even your later in life chapters learning about where...

D. Yvonne Rivers, Host, Birth Moms Real Talk Podcast Since 1988, D. Yvonne Rivers Aka Phoebe has been a champion of a cause, from business success, domestic violence, re-entry, and adoption community. One facet of this global business expert is an esteemed speaker, facilitator, and trainer across the globe on four continents. Another facet of this woman started in 1973 with the birth of her son wh...

Jessica was born and raised in California. She is the mother of two kids 10 & 4. Jessica worked in high level dementia and Alzheimer’s care since 18 years of age due to her love for seniors. She's new to being a part of the adoption support community and can’t wait to experience more. Jessica's recommendation of a Facebook group is called Search Angels for Adoptees https://www.facebook.com/gro...

Zhen E (Jenny) grew up in a small Iowa town where she was the only non-white person. Before the Pandemic, she was a massage therapist, a published playwright, wedding official and event planner and Cat-Mom of 2 cats who loved traveling and being a foodie with her husband Robert.  She, her husband Robert, their son Jordan and his wife Skylar traveled to her place of birth in South Ko...

Laureen Pittman is a paralegal by profession and worked for lawyers and law firms large and small for over 20 years after graduating from college with a degree in political science. She also happens to be adopted. Laureen started blogging about her journey to discover her identity in 2013. As her own story began to evolve, she realized that there was a much larger truth that needed to be explored...

Tina graciously hosts this episode and asks thoughtful questions of Jennifer. As friends, they often have great exchanges and decided others might benefit from what they learn in conversation about each other as adoptees. Music by Corey Quinn

Pam was born in the early 1940s in New York City. She grew to age 5 in Manhattan and Connecticut, and by the time she reached junior high school, her family settled in Barrington, Illinois. Her mother died when she was 12 of a massive heart attack. Fast forward to 1959, Pam's first year at college. When she signed up for creative writing, she had no idea she would be opening a door to th...