Born &amp; adopted in 1970 as an infant, Lynn always knew she was adopted. Told the sweet stories of being chosen &amp; special. Lynn’s story later revealed many secrets &amp; lies. Lynn grew up in a middle-class family with both parents, teachers &amp; a brother 8 years older, biological to her adoptive parents. The secret revealed at 16 yrs old was that this was a kinship adoption &amp; she’d known her birth mother her whole life; only as a cousin, not her birth mother. So she didn’t have a reunion but more of a reintroduction to her BM.
Through DNA, she later found her BF in 2019 at age 49 &amp; the last puzzle piece she desired for many years. Only to bring more secrets &amp; lies revealed. This reunion started well, but has unfortunately faded. Both relationships with BM &amp; BF are broken with a second rejection. 
Lynn is also an adoptive parent with her husband of 37 years &amp; shares the journey with her daughter’s birth mother in an open adoption.
Lynn’s heart is for clear truth for adoptees &amp; education for adoptive parents before adopting. It’s not a blank slate.
 
<a href="https://www.talexblum.com/">Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para</a><a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/">dox by Jean Kelly Widner</a>
<a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/">Sign up to be part of our mailing list! </a>
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and <a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink">be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE</a> community. The next meeting will be Saturday, June 6th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
<a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/">Adoptees Connect</a>
<a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/">Adoptee Mentoring Society</a>
<a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/">Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/">Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group</a>
<a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/">Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement</a>
<a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/">Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate</a>
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
<a href="https://kristalparke.net/">Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Born &amp;amp; adopted in 1970 as an infant, Lynn always knew she was adopted. Told the sweet stories of being chosen &amp;amp; special. Lynn’s story later revealed many secrets &amp;amp; lies. Lynn grew up in a middle-class family with both parents, teachers &amp;amp; a brother 8 years older, biological to her adoptive parents. The secret revealed at 16 yrs old was that this was a kinship adoption &amp;amp; she’d known her birth mother her whole life; only as a cousin, not her birth mother. So she didn’t have a reunion but more of a reintroduction to her BM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Through DNA, she later found her BF in 2019 at age 49 &amp;amp; the last puzzle piece she desired for many years. Only to bring more secrets &amp;amp; lies revealed. This reunion started well, but has unfortunately faded. Both relationships with BM &amp;amp; BF are broken with a second rejection.&lt;br /&gt;
Lynn is also an adoptive parent with her husband of 37 years &amp;amp; shares the journey with her daughter’s birth mother in an open adoption.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lynn’s heart is for clear truth for adoptees &amp;amp; education for adoptive parents before adopting. It’s not a blank slate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.talexblum.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dox by Jean Kelly Widner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/"&gt;Sign up to be part of our mailing list! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and &lt;a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink"&gt;be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE&lt;/a&gt; community. The next meeting will be Saturday, June 6th, at 1 pm ET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESOURCES for Adoptees:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/"&gt;Adoptees Connect&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/"&gt;Adoptee Mentoring Society&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/"&gt;Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/"&gt;Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/"&gt;Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/"&gt;Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate&lt;/a&gt;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kristalparke.net/"&gt;Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Born in 1970 and adopted as an infant, Lynn grew up believing the story that she was chosen and special, only to later discover that her adoption was a kinship adoption and that the woman she knew as her cousin was actually her birth mother. After finding her birth father through DNA at age 49, more family secrets and painful rejections surfaced, shaping Lynn’s passion for adoptee truth, openness, and educating adoptive parents that adoption is never a blank slate.

Lynn: Not a Blank Slate

Mary Lynn was born in March of 1966 and spent her first ten months in foster care before being adopted and brought to Pittsburgh as an infant. Her foster mother later sent a heartfelt letter to her adoptive parents, carefully recording early milestones—first steps, first words, favorite foods—clear signs that Mary Lynn was well loved from the very beginning. Still, one question stayed with her as she grew up: why hadn’t she gone home from the hospital with her adoptive family? The explanations she received never quite felt complete.
Decades later, with curiosity and a sense that time mattered, Mary Lynn decided to look for answers. Despite the challenges of closed adoption records, she began researching, taking DNA tests, joining online communities, and sharing her story publicly. For years, she followed leads with patience and persistence.
Then one evening, a simple online post changed everything—a birthmother searching for a daughter born in March 1966, with details that closely matched Mary Lynn’s own. With help from experienced search volunteers, connections were made, and DNA confirmed long-held questions about her biological parents.
Meeting her birthmother was meaningful and emotional, even as it revealed a complicated family history and long-kept misunderstandings. Over time, Mary Lynn chose balance and peace, carrying forward the clarity she had gained.
Most importantly, the journey gave her a new purpose. Guided by others who had helped her, today Mary Lynn is a search angel, paying forward the gift of truth, connection, and hope.
 
<a href="https://www.talexblum.com/">Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para</a><a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/">dox by Jean Kelly Widner</a>
<a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/">Sign up to be part of our mailing list! </a>
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and <a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink">be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE</a> community. The next meeting will be Saturday, June 6th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
<a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/">Adoptees Connect</a>
<a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/">Adoptee Mentoring Society</a>
<a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/">Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/">Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group</a>
<a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/">Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement</a>
<a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/">Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate</a>
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
<a href="https://kristalparke.net/">Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt; was born in March of 1966 and spent her first ten months in foster care before being adopted and brought to Pittsburgh as an infant. Her foster mother later sent a heartfelt letter to her adoptive parents, carefully recording early milestones—first steps, first words, favorite foods—clear signs that &lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt; was well loved from the very beginning. Still, one question stayed with her as she grew up: why hadn’t she gone home from the hospital with her adoptive family? The explanations she received never quite felt complete.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Decades later, with curiosity and a sense that time mattered, &lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt; decided to look for answers. Despite the challenges of closed adoption records, she began researching, taking DNA tests, joining online communities, and sharing her story publicly. For years, she followed leads with patience and persistence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Then one evening, a simple online post changed everything—a birthmother searching for a daughter born in March 1966, with details that closely matched &lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt;’s own. With help from experienced search volunteers, connections were made, and DNA confirmed long-held questions about her biological parents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Meeting her birthmother was meaningful and emotional, even as it revealed a complicated family history and long-kept misunderstandings. Over time, &lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt; chose balance and peace, carrying forward the clarity she had gained.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Most importantly, the journey gave her a new purpose. Guided by others who had helped her, today &lt;span&gt;Mary Lynn&lt;/span&gt; is a search angel, paying forward the gift of truth, connection, and hope.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.talexblum.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dox by Jean Kelly Widner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/"&gt;Sign up to be part of our mailing list! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and &lt;a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink"&gt;be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE&lt;/a&gt; community. The next meeting will be Saturday, June 6th, at 1 pm ET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESOURCES for Adoptees:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/"&gt;Adoptees Connect&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/"&gt;Adoptee Mentoring Society&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/"&gt;Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/"&gt;Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/"&gt;Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/"&gt;Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate&lt;/a&gt;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kristalparke.net/"&gt;Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Born in 1966 and adopted after spending her first ten months in foster care, Mary Lynn grew up questioning the incomplete answers surrounding her adoption and later began a years-long search for the truth about her origins. Through persistence, DNA testing, and the help of search volunteers, she reunited with her birthmother and now serves as a search angel herself, helping others find truth, connection, and hope.

Mary Lynn: From Hidden Story to Search Angel

Adopted as an infant by a naval officer and his wife during the Baby Scoop Era, Diane Wheaton has always heard conflicting versions of the truth of her origins — but it’s not until she is forty-seven years old that she begins to search for her biological family in earnest. Amid search and reunion, however, Diane’s adoptive parents become ill — and while overseeing their care, she is told about a secret they have kept from her for over fifteen years. This shocking disclosure complicates her already complicated feelings for them, and she finds herself faced with an important decision — one that feels almost impossible to make, but which results in a level of healing she never could have anticipated.
A touching memoir of self-discovery, Finding Loretta is Diane’s tale of searching for history, roots, and family. Ultimately, she comes to accept the two distinct dynamics of the families who have helped make her who she is today, and in doing so, she learns to embrace herself and feel grateful for everything she has experienced — even loss.
Diane lives in Southern California with her husband and two Siamese-mix cats. Diane is a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers and was a contributing author to the AN-YA Project’s adult adoptee anthology, Flip the Script.  Finding Loretta has recently been named a finalist in the 38th Annual IBPA Book Award in Parenting and Family.
<a href="http://dianewheaton.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dianewheaton.com</a> 
Author of Finding Loretta: An Adopted Daughter's Search to Define Family 
  
<img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wKkHy10s8QA9G9bCDSfC-4VPm9jeDV-ITD_ykL28TRib3b9gOnbS2DPte-29ifjJSl00DoM222-Zbn" width="420" height="157" /> 
 
  
&quot;A story of resilience, hope, and strength.&quot; 
--Kristi Elizabeth, Los Angeles Book Review
 
<a href="https://www.talexblum.com/">Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para</a><a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/">dox by Jean Kelly Widner</a>
<a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/">Sign up to be part of our mailing list! </a>
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and <a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink">be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE</a> community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
<a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/">Adoptees Connect</a>
<a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/">Adoptee Mentoring Society</a>
<a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/">Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/">Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group</a>
<a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/">Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement</a>
<a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/">Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate</a>
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
<a href="https://kristalparke.net/">Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted</a>
 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Adopted as an infant by a naval officer and his wife during the Baby Scoop Era, Diane Wheaton has always heard conflicting versions of the truth of her origins — but it’s not until she is forty-seven years old that she begins to search for her biological family in earnest. Amid search and reunion, however, Diane’s adoptive parents become ill — and while overseeing their care, she is told about a secret they have kept from her for over fifteen years. This shocking disclosure complicates her already complicated feelings for them, and she finds herself faced with an important decision — one that feels almost impossible to make, but which results in a level of healing she never could have anticipated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A touching memoir of self-discovery, &lt;i&gt;Finding Loretta&lt;/i&gt; is Diane’s tale of searching for history, roots, and family. Ultimately, she comes to accept the two distinct dynamics of the families who have helped make her who she is today, and in doing so, she learns to embrace herself and feel grateful for everything she has experienced — even loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Diane lives in Southern California with her husband and two Siamese-mix cats. Diane is a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers and was a contributing author to the AN-YA Project’s adult adoptee anthology, &lt;i&gt;Flip the Script&lt;/i&gt;.  &lt;i&gt;Finding Loretta&lt;/i&gt; has recently been named a finalist in the 38th Annual IBPA Book Award in Parenting and Family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;a href="http://dianewheaton.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span&gt;dianewheaton&lt;/span&gt;.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;Author of Finding Loretta: An Adopted Daughter's Search to Define Family&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt; &lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;img src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wKkHy10s8QA9G9bCDSfC-4VPm9jeDV-ITD_ykL28TRib3b9gOnbS2DPte-29ifjJSl00DoM222-Zbn" width="420" height="157" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt; &lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&amp;quot;A story of resilience, hope, and strength.&amp;quot;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
--Kristi Elizabeth, &lt;i&gt;Los Angeles Book Review&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.talexblum.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dox by Jean Kelly Widner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/"&gt;Sign up to be part of our mailing list! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and &lt;a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink"&gt;be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE&lt;/a&gt; community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESOURCES for Adoptees:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/"&gt;Adoptees Connect&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/"&gt;Adoptee Mentoring Society&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/"&gt;Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/"&gt;Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/"&gt;Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/"&gt;Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate&lt;/a&gt;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kristalparke.net/"&gt;Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Adopted during the Baby Scoop Era, Diane Wheaton spent much of her life navigating conflicting stories about her origins before beginning a search for her biological family at age forty-seven. Her memoir, Finding Loretta, explores reunion, family secrets, grief, and healing as she learns to embrace both her adoptive and biological families and the complex journey that shaped her.

Diane: The Truth Beneath the Story

Jae Carelli was adopted from Korea at 5 months old and is the oldest of 5 children adopted from Korea through Holt International. They grew up in New Jersey and Cape Cod, and attended the Boston Conservatory at Berklee for their Bachelor's. They struggled with mental health issues as a child and young adult, which sent them on a journey, reckoning with their adoption, through multiple unsuccessful search attempts. Jae is now living in Brooklyn, NY, and works as a vocalist, musician, songwriter, and voice pedagogue whose work examines duality and identity through voice and sound. Jae navigates the space across binaries to explore the capabilities of voice as one of the key markers of identity, which guides their artistic expression as a transracial adoptee and their research with trans/gender non-conforming singers in their Master’s program with the Voice Study Centre. Last year, they released an album, American Doll, and premiered their show solo, Homeward Bound: a Korean Adoptee exploring the longing for belonging in 2025, using the 7 core issues of adoption as the concept for the projects. You can find more about Jae at <a href="http://jae-ci.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jae-ci.com</a>
 
<a href="https://www.talexblum.com/">Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para</a><a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/">dox by Jean Kelly Widner</a>
<a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/">Sign up to be part of our mailing list! </a>
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and <a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink">be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE</a> community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
<a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/">Adoptees Connect</a>
<a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/">Adoptee Mentoring Society</a>
<a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/">Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/">Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group</a>
<a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/">Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement</a>
<a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/">Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate</a>
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
<a href="https://kristalparke.net/">Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted</a>
 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Jae&lt;/span&gt; Carelli was adopted from Korea at 5 months old and is the oldest of 5 children adopted from Korea through Holt International. They grew up in New Jersey and Cape Cod, and attended the Boston Conservatory at Berklee for their Bachelor's. They struggled with mental health issues as a child and young adult, which sent them on a journey, reckoning with their adoption, through multiple unsuccessful search attempts. &lt;span&gt;Jae&lt;/span&gt; is now living in Brooklyn, NY, and works as a vocalist, musician, songwriter, and voice pedagogue whose work examines duality and identity through voice and sound. &lt;span&gt;Jae&lt;/span&gt; navigates the space across binaries to explore the capabilities of voice as one of the key markers of identity, which guides their artistic expression as a transracial adoptee and their research with trans/gender non-conforming singers in their Master’s program with the Voice Study Centre. Last year, they released an album, American Doll, and premiered their show solo, Homeward Bound: a Korean Adoptee exploring the longing for belonging in 2025, using the 7 core issues of adoption as the concept for the projects. You can find more about &lt;span&gt;Jae&lt;/span&gt; at &lt;a href="http://jae-ci.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span&gt;jae&lt;/span&gt;-ci.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.talexblum.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dox by Jean Kelly Widner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/"&gt;Sign up to be part of our mailing list! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and &lt;a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink"&gt;be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE&lt;/a&gt; community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESOURCES for Adoptees:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/"&gt;Adoptees Connect&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/"&gt;Adoptee Mentoring Society&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/"&gt;Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/"&gt;Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/"&gt;Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/"&gt;Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate&lt;/a&gt;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kristalparke.net/"&gt;Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Jae Carelli, adopted from Korea as an infant, grew up in New Jersey and Cape Cod and later studied at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, navigating mental health challenges and an ongoing search connected to their adoption. Now based in Brooklyn, Jae is a vocalist, songwriter, and educator whose work explores identity, duality, and voice, including their album American Doll and their solo show Homeward Bound.

Jae: Finding Voice, Claiming Self

Virginia McQueen Laney is an adoptee in a blended family who is building meaningful work through an adoptee- and queer-centered collaborative practice. Her work extends beyond individual mental health to include advocacy for adoptee rights, collaboration with tribal communities, and serving the LGBTQIA2+ community. She is the founder of the <a href="https://bozemanidentitycounseling.com/">Bozeman Identity Counseling Center</a>. 
She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
<a href="https://www.talexblum.com/">Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para</a><a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/">dox by Jean Kelly Widner</a>
<a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/">Sign up to be part of our mailing list! </a>
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and <a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink">be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE</a> community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
<a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/">Adoptees Connect</a>
<a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/">Adoptee Mentoring Society</a>
<a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/">Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/">Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group</a>
<a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/">Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement</a>
<a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/">Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate</a>
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
<a href="https://kristalparke.net/">Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted</a>
 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Virginia McQueen Laney is an adoptee in a blended family who is building meaningful work through an adoptee- and queer-centered collaborative practice. Her work extends beyond individual mental health to include advocacy for adoptee rights, collaboration with tribal communities, and serving the LGBTQIA2+ community. She is the founder of the &lt;a href="https://bozemanidentitycounseling.com/"&gt;Bozeman Identity Counseling Center&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.talexblum.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Season 12 Book: The Adoption Para&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://adoptionparadox.com/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dox by Jean Kelly Widner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/"&gt;Sign up to be part of our mailing list! &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and &lt;a href="https://patreon.com/themakingofmepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink"&gt;be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE&lt;/a&gt; community. The next meeting will be Saturday, May 16th, at 1 pm ET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;RESOURCES for Adoptees:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteesconnect.com/"&gt;Adoptees Connect&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.adopteementorship.org/"&gt;Adoptee Mentoring Society&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://adopteerightslaw.com/"&gt;Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/firesideadoptees/"&gt;Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.lizdebetta.com/"&gt;Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mosesfarrow.com/"&gt;Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate&lt;/a&gt;
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kristalparke.net/"&gt;Kristal Parke Because She Is Adopted&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Live from Austin, Texas on April 18th, Virginia McQueen Laney—an adoptee in a blended family—shares her work building an adoptee- and queer-centered collaborative practice rooted in identity, advocacy, and community care.

A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and founder of Bozeman Identity Counseling Center, she brings a trauma-informed approach that extends beyond individual therapy to support adoptee rights, tribal collaboration, and the LGBTQIA2+ community.


Virginia: Live Podcast from Austin, Texas

Two adult adoptees, Sarah Reinhardt and Louise Browne, delve into all things adoption - from their perspectives as adult adoptees. Each season Sarah and Louise recap a chapter from a book centered on adoption and then interview a guest.  Sarah and Louise come out of the 'fog' in real-time through Seasons One and Two and are advocating for change in the adoption industry. They want to give voice to all adoptees. Adoptee stories are needed to reframe the narrative around adoption.Sarah and Louise, two former business partners who had a successful ice cream truck in Los Angeles, team up again - this time in frank and honest conversations about all things adoption from the adoptee perspective. Both were adopted shortly after birth, but they had very different experiences. These will be intimate conversations, but also fun - because Sarah and Louise know how to lighten things up and have a good time. They also have an uncanny ability to get to the heart of a subject with anyone who crosses their path - so conversations will take many turns.

Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

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