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PODCAST

Who Am I Really?

Adoptees telling their own stories of life in adoption, their search for their birth family, and how their reunion attempt turned out. Stories that make you laugh, cry, or simply say "wow". This podcast has two purposes: 1) To help you explore your own feelings about your adoption, accept your desire understand your own personal history, and decide for yourself whether reunification with your biological relatives is right for you. It will help you understand how others have dealt with issues

education self-improvement

All Episodes

01:03:22

259 - The Innocent People Project

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/06/07

Jeff, from southern California, grew up with the knowledge of and separation anxiety about his adoption. In reunion, he found his birth mother who mirrored his looks, but who has pushed the boundaries of their relationship, and a birth father who is simply not his type of guy.Jeff is the inspirational photographer behind the adoptee focused innocent People Project. This is Jeff's journey.Jeff Forney.com/Innocent PeopleIG: @JeffForneyFB: Jeff Forney PhotographyWho Am I Really?Who Am I Really

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54:48

258 - Twice the Family

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/05/31

Julie from Chicago, Illinois is rare in the world of adoption because she wasn't adopted alone. She and her identical twin sister were placed together, secure in their sense of family. The twins never sought adoption reunion until health concerns emerged for Julie in adulthood. Julie describes the initial rejection of her first mother, the misidentification of her birth father, and the eventual softening of the feelings of a mother of twins who finally needed to know that her girls were okay.This

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01:17:36

257 - Unjustified Rejection

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/05/24

Melissa, who called me from Harrison, Arkansas, says she always felt chosen and grateful for her adoption. But after decades of peace with her origin story, something shifted. A small-town newspaper article, a newborn daughter, and an aging parent all conspired to push her toward a search.When the time was finally right—when a DNA match opened the door to her paternal family—she stepped forward in grace, only to be met with silence on her maternal side. Melissa took a clandestine trip to see the

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47:20

256 - I'm Not The Finished Package

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/05/17

Ryan, from Edinburgh, Scotland, grew up ashamed of his Moroccan heritage and faced bullying due to his background and religion. At 18, a letter from his mother revealed his adoption, shaking his world and leading him to hide the truth for 13 years. Ryan struggled with depression, substance abuse, and a pervasive sense of otherness. Eventually Ryan confronted his adoption trauma, seeking therapy and connecting with the adoptee community. Ryan's continues his relentless search for his birth family in

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47:47

255 - This Is Me, But Why Is It Me?

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/05/10

Katie was adopted from China as a baby and raised in a predominantly white suburb south of Boston. Her adoptive family gave her a life full of opportunity—but as she grew older, the distance between who she was and the world around her only deepened. In this episode, Katie shares how her search for identity has expanded beyond finding her birth parents. She opens up about being raised without cultural mirrors, navigating the silence around her story, and reclaiming pieces of herself that were left

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42:55

254 - I Do Not Want My DNA In Their System

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/05/03

George grew up in Soviet Georgia knowing he was different—both visibly and emotionally—in a society where adoption and his sexuality were dangerous secrets. He spent his early life navigating fear, hiding truths, and surviving systems designed to silence him.When a search angel from Russia responded to a single Facebook post, everything changed. George embarked on a digital trail of late-night texts, uncovering the truth of his birth, a sister who had been searching for him for 50 years, and a

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46:14

253 - The Veteran Community Helped Me Save Myself

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/04/26

Forrest's life began in chaos, abuse, and danger at home and in the foster care system. Forest says he joined the military to make an honorable exit from this life and shares the moment he found his calling as a tattoo artist to his brothers in Iraq. But when Fort decided to get his passport, the process revealed that he had been adopted by a devious woman who had taken him in, but had never told him her plans. Today he has transformed his life into one of purpose and healing. This is Forrest's

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49:18

252 - Stoicism and Radical Acceptance

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/04/19

Raised in the mountains of the midwest, Misty endured neglect and abuse when she was a child. She took matters into her own hands to separate from her family, survived a period in foster care, then was adopted by her extended family. Misty, was forced to learn what life should be like in a properly functioning family while unlearning what she had experienced in her first family. Today Misty uses lessons from her past to maintain stoicism to move forward in life.This is Misty's journey. Who Am I

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51:30

251 - Adult-Adoptees.com, Dr. Amy Geller

Who Am I Really? ·

2025/04/12

Dr. Amy Geller, from Wykoff New Jersey, had had an idyllic adopted life as the youngest child and the only girl in her family. But an accidental discovery put her in front of her adoptive parents facing an uncomfortable situation and feelings she chose to bury. As a young adult, Amy was found by her birth mother, found herself angered by the intrusion, but had the presence of mind to pause to gather herself in order to enter reunion with caution. Today, Amy is a therapist and adoption researcher

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01:09:56

250 - In Search of a Salve: Diary of a Sex Addict

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/12/07

Katherin called me from Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up in a challenging environment with an adoptive mother on dialysis, an adoptive father who disengaged from parenting, and life lessons that taught her to suppress her emotions. Seeking connection, Katherin turned to the affection of men to fill the emotional voids in her life.In reunion, Katherin discovered her birth mother's struggles with mental health and gained a sister with whom she shares a close bond. However, building a relationship with

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58:29

249 -It Is So Good That This Is Real

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/11/30

Amy shared her story with me from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She learned about her adoption before her teen years—a revelation that left her in shock but also helped her make sense of her family dynamics.In college, Amy’s coming out created a rift within her family, leaving her worried that pursuing an adoption reunion might lead to similar tensions.Thankfully, Amy’s birth mother embraced her happiness and wholeheartedly committed to supporting her in their reunion. Listen until the end when you hear

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52:22

248 - I Always Had a Hole in My Heart

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/11/23

Virginia spoke to me from New York. When she was young, her single mother struggled to raise her and her two younger brothers, battling addiction and mental illness, which ultimately led to their family being separated. While Virginia was reunited with her mother, she was not reunited with her brothers and was devastated by the terrible news that she would never see them again.As an adult, Virginia felt something wasn't right about the story of her younger brothers. Determined to uncover the truth,

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52:36

247 - Devastated My Granny Endured What She Did

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/11/16

Bobbi, who lives in Montgomery County, Maryland, reached out as an ally to the adoptee community. After we chatted, she realized something important about her own journey.She shared her tale of generational kinship adoption, the heartbreaking discovery that her beloved granny had likely endured an assault, and the DNA discoveries of multiple adoptees who were placed from her own family tree. This is Bobbie's Journey. Who Am I Really?Who Am I Really? Website Share Your StoryDamon's story Find the

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41:38

246 - Everyone Is Doing The Best They Can With The...

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/11/09

Jean, from Boulder City, Nevada, shared that her raising parents had their flaws, from addiction to enablement, but she knows they loved her and they did the best they could with what they had in their toolbox. Searching for her birth mother, the woman was found quickly, their resemblance was shocking, and after discovering some disturbing facts about the woman's past, maternal reunion remains an unmet need for Jean. However, when she learned there would be no reunion, Jean could not have been in a

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01:01:13

245 - Anybody Alive Is Off Limits

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/11/02

Kurt, from in Las Vegas, Nevada, felt like something was off in his family when he was a kid, so he he set out to find his own way. As an adult, Kurt got curious about locating his birth family, but chickened out on submitting a DNA sample to launch is search for reunion.On his maternal side, Kurt was finally able to meet his birth mother, but she seems to be keeping him at arm's length. Kurt's birth father knew he had fathered a child, prepared his family to hear from Kurt one day, and was more

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46:44

244 - Love is Meant to Multiply

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/10/26

Patrice, from Northern Virginia, said that in her house adoption was never discussed when she was a kid. So her curiosity led to a secret search as an adult. While her birth mother had no plans to meet Patrice, in reunion, her birth father told everyone about his long lost daughter.Unfortunately, the loneliness of the COVID 19 lockdown drove a wedge between Patrice and her birth father. This is Patrice's journey.Who Am I Really?Who Am I Really? Website Share Your StoryDamon's story Find the show

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51:20

243 - Out of the Turtle Shell

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/10/19

Sharon, from Springfield, Missouri, grew up in a small town as part of a large family. After leaving home, she became pregnant and was abandoned by the birth father. Following the placement of her daughter, she suffered in silence for years. For decades, Sharon hid her pain behind a smile—until the day her daughter found her.When they reconnected, they finally saw the beauty in each other. Sharon is a birth mother, and this is her journey.Who Am I Really?Who Am I Really? Website Share Your

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34:37

242 - Maintaining My Present Peace

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/10/12

Here is the edited version with improved grammar:Baya called me from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She was raised in Germany by parents who grew up in post-World War II Germany, along with an abusive older brother. In her town, everyone knew Baya was adopted, and she even knew who her birth mother was. However, to this day, Baya has not yet reached the point where she feels ready to take the next step—coming face to face with the woman she has known about her entire life.This is Baya's journey.Who Am I

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52:13

241 - Abandoned at Birth: Searching for the Arms that...

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/10/05

Janet spoke to me from her home in Nantucket, Massachusetts. She grew up with an adoptive mother who presented to the outside community as a saint whom everyone loved. But at home she was unkind to her family. Janet said she spent her whole life wanting to know her birth mother when she finally found the woman. Janet's birth mother didn't want to know her and only met her after her other children forced the issue. However, her birth father welcomed her with open arms and compassion, the kind of

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58:47

240 - I Was Hoping That Somebody Would Love Me

Who Am I Really? ·

2024/09/28

Jim, from Gilroy, California, Jim was born in the early 1960s in San Jose, California. His adoption story is complex, shaped by the trauma and loss his adoptive parents faced after losing their youngest biological son. For Jim, the love he sought from his adoptive father was elusive, replaced by emotional and physical abuse in his adoptive family. As Jim searched for his biological family he was disappointed by some misleading events. and he uncovered some unexpected connections and painful

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55 results

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