Roots and Branches Adoption Stories Podcast

Chris Langley was adopted at birth into a loving home, yet by age eight, anxiety took hold. Struggling in school and feeling misunderstood, his story shines a light on the hidden challenges many adoptees face.

Nancy Harrison’s story takes us back to a time when teenage pregnancy was hidden, and young girls were sent away to homes for unwed mothers. At just 17, Nancy found herself pregnant after a brief relationship with a boy who chose not to be involved. With little knowledge, no real choice, and the weight of societal expectations, she was sent away from home to have her baby in secrecy. Her daughter...

Di Riddell’s adoption story is one of survival, loss, courage, and ultimately healing. Growing up in a violent alcoholic home, she was left with little self-worth. At just 16, after a brutal assault, she became pregnant and was hidden away during her pregnancy in 1960s Australia — a time when unwed mothers were shamed and silenced. Following a traumatic birth, her baby was taken from her immediate...

Catie Brannon’s adoption story is different from many we hear. She was never separated from her biological mother. When Catie was two years old, her mother married Rick, and he legally adopted her. For the first twelve years of her life, Catie believed Rick was her biological father. Then one day she learned the truth — and that discovery changed the way she saw herself and her place in the family...

What is it like to place your child for adoption — not from a place of abandonment, but of love? In this powerful episode, Shane opens up about the emotional journey of being an unwed father who made the hardest decision of his life. His story invites us into the often unheard side of adoption: the father’s voice . Guilt, grace, faith, and unconditional love – this story will stay with you long af...

The conversation delves into the journey of adoption, the challenges faced, the decision-making process, and the impact of adoption on the lives of the individuals involved. It also explores the differences between adoption and permanent placement, as well as the inspiration and pride associated with adoption and permanent placement. The conversation delves into the challenges of adoption, the imp...

Adopted at just 10 days old, Ronda Payne grew up in a loving home. Her adoptive parents were, in her words, “fabulous — not perfect, but who is?” She adored them. Recently losing her adoptive mother just before Christmas, Ronda is still walking through fresh grief. But alongside that love was something many adoptees quietly carry — a question mark. A longing to know. A sense that a piece of the st...

Janet Munro shares her personal adoption story, from the difficult decision to give up her son to the emotional reunion years later. Matt Stafford, who grew up in foster care, joins the conversation to share his experience and the impact it has had on his life. The conversation delves into Matt Stafford's experience of being permanently placed in a family, the impact of multiple deaths, his journe...

Two women. Same age. Different eras. Different choices. In this powerful episode of Roots and Branches , host Janet Munro and guest Nicole Haley compare their unplanned pregnancies nearly twenty years apart — and how the times they lived in shaped the choices they believed were possible. Janet became pregnant in 1969, when unwed mothers were hidden and adoption was often the only acceptable option...

For Sharon McRoberts, growing up as an only child wasn’t about loneliness—it was about questioning what family truly meant. From a young age, she knew she would one day build a family shaped by intention, responsibility, and care rather than tradition alone. In this episode of Roots and Branches , Sharon shares her remarkable journey through foster care, international adoption, kinship care, and b...

Matt Stafford grew up in foster care and was eventually permanently placed with a family—but never adopted. While living in a home with biological and adopted children who shared the family name, Matt was left wondering why he didn’t belong in the same way. Despite a stable placement, Matt was required to continue visitations with biological parents who claimed to love him but also caused him harm...

What would you do if a DNA test revealed you had a 40-year-old son you never knew existed? In this episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories , author and trauma-healing mentor Jim Pehkoven shares the shock of discovering he had been a father his entire adult life. Jim opens up about meeting his son, respecting his choice not to pursue a relationship, and how his book DNA Results can help you...

In this episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories , Kris Austin shares adoption from both sides of the story. First as a branch , growing up with an adopted brother, and later as a root , becoming a mother through adoption herself. Kris reflects on sibling bonds, reunion with birth family, the courage of birth parents, and the deep truth that family is built through love, honesty, and connec...

From a troubled upbringing to time in jail, Bubba’s life has been shaped by hardship — but also by transformation. In today’s episode, Bubba opens up about the pivotal moments that reshaped his future, the lessons he learned behind bars, and the powerful decision to legally adopt Mick, the little boy who changed everything. We explore: How his childhood shaped the man he became What led to the dec...

International expert Richard Villasana shares the heartbreaking—and inspiring—truth behind the U.S. family separation crisis. From foster care pipelines to immigration failures, Richard exposes how thousands of children became lost in the system and the heroic efforts to reunite them with family. Based on his book Do No Harm , this episode reveals what really happened, why it matters, and how we c...

From a fresh start in Colorado to the challenges of COVID, Dan and Tina found themselves facing business struggles, family upheaval — and a life-changing decision. When their three-year-old niece needed a safe home, they opened their hearts and became kinship foster parents. In this episode, Dan and Tina shares the emotional and complicated process of fostering a child within the family, the reali...

When Kala prayed for children during a church retreat, she didn’t know the path would lead through heartbreak, patience, faith — and ultimately, family. She and her husband, Terry, began fostering, following in her sister’s footsteps. Over time they cared for three children who each returned to their biological families. Months later, one phone call changed everything: Would they take back one of...

Adopted by her grandparents as a baby, Deanna grew up learning the cost of secrecy — and chose to raise her children with honesty and transparency. Today, she and her husband are parents to seven, including two teenagers they adopted to keep them out of the system. Her story is one of resilience, compassion, and the true meaning of family. #AdoptionStories #RootsAndBranches #FamilyIsLove #Adoption...

Peter was born in England, raised in New Zealand, and loved by his adoptive parents. But at 18, after moving to Australia, he began searching for his biological family. His journey through DNA testing and worldwide connections led to surprising discoveries, new siblings, and life-changing reunions. Join us for Peter’s powerful adoption story — one of persistence, identity, and family found across...

Michael’s childhood was filled with trauma, but also love from the family who raised him. In this episode, he shares how forgiveness, faith, and baptism gave him the closure he needed. His message is clear: everyone has struggles, but healing begins with forgiveness. #adoptionstories #powerofforgiveness #healingjourney #faithandhealing #rootsandbranches

Today’s story belongs to Ron, and it is raw, unfiltered, and deeply personal. Born in the early 1970s, his adoption began with a secret arrangement between families and was followed by years of unanswered questions, shifting stories, and being told to be grateful for the very loss that shaped him. After decades of living with sealed records and incomplete truths, Ron turned to unconventional metho...

Family doesn’t always look the way we expect — and sometimes love asks more of us than we ever imagined." In this episode of Roots and Branches: Adoption Stories, we sit down with Sherri to explore her incredible journey through marriage, divorce, blending families, and stepping up when tragedy struck. What began as a family of five grew again — through loss, through love, and through the belief t...

A reflection on the first ten episodes

Brian’s life seemed to be moving forward as planned. After starting college as a computer technology major, he switched to broadcasting, chasing a career that better fit his passions. He met a girl, married, and then divorced after three years. Then came Liz—a white woman four years younger than him—who would change his life. The two moved in together in Indianapolis and shared six years of quiet,...

From adoption to a 52-year marriage, Sherry’s journey proves that resilience can outshine even the darkest beginnings. Placed in foster care before her first birthday and adopted at 16 months, Sherry learned at age 9 — from a neighbor — that she was adopted. By 15, she was living on her own. Today, she’s been married to her high school sweetheart for 52 years, raised two independent children, buil...