Who Am I Really?

220 - Everybody Was Hiding The Black Piece

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bethany, from Gaithersburg, Maryland could see differences in herself and her white family, but her parents explained to those differences away and sh...

219 - I Was Really Happy They Were Together

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy, from Ottawa, Canada lived in a unique situation with a mother who was the disciplinarian in their home. When Tracy found her birth family, she ...

218 - I Could See Myself In Everyone

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mike, from Modesto, California, is a self-proclaimed introvert who was raised by a family of extroverted performers. With his adopted brothers, help M...

217 - Do I Just Let It Go?

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barbara who called me from Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up an emotional child adopted by two refugees of war. When she found her birth mother, Barbara...

216 - The Long Shot

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John, from Southern California, learned at 10 years old he was adopted. But he didn't do anything with the information for four decades while he lived...

215 - Taking My Power Back Was Incredible

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Becky, from Sydney, Ohio, said she has always searched for someone who resembled herself. When she found her birth mother, she was wounded by the woma...

214 - Letting Go Of Old Resentment

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Elianna who called me from Santa Cruz, California, said growing up her family moved frequently, which taught her it was easy to uproot and restart. Wh...

213 - Why Lie About A Human Being?

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Linda, who called me from St. Petersburg, Florida, said that when her adoptive mother found herself single parenting her two daughters, they moved to ...

212 - Forbidden Roots

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fred called me from outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, near lake Michigan. Fred grew up an only child loved and supported by his parents, but sometimes fee...

211 - The Gift He Gave Me

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kamina called me from Dubai, but she grew up in Texas. Kamina said she was always confused about why she didn't look like her adoptive family and no o...

210 - Not Begging, Just Moving On

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Trish from Arlington, Texas had open access to her adoption records which provided the information she needed to find her birth mother. But just becau...

105 – I Call Her Incubator

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

My guest asked that I maintain her anonymity, so I’ll refer to her as Nina. She shared her story growing up with dedicated parents who embraced...

090 – It’s Not Your Fault, I Made It Through

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lori was adopted after her biological mother lived with her adoptive parents, desperately trying to escape the tyranny of her abusive husband. Th...

100 – Purely Loving Intentions

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Haley Radke, Host/Producer of the Adoptees On podcast is my special guest for this special 100th episode!Haley shared her story of gaining access to h...

094 – Why Would You Spend This Much Time Searching?

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barry always knew he was adopted, but before he ever launched a search, he was found by his older sister. He tells the story of meeting her, and ...

092 – Paternally Unrelated

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy knew she was adopted, but she believed the men in her life where of biological relation – she thought she was adopted within the fam...

073 – It Hurts That Someone Took Her From This World

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ashley shares her story growing up in adoption and having a positive outlook on her life because she felt she was placed for a reason, living life acc...

088 – Being Biracial Never Occurred to Me

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Kenneth’s family all of siblings were adoptees, each fostered in their parents home before their adoption were made final. That scenario worked o...

082 – The Only Thing That Divides Us Is The Mississippi

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ann has an array of experiences from being kidnapped briefly from her adopted family to learning she celebrated the wrong birth date for 22 years...

072 – Amazing Intuition, One Cousin Connection

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recalling her early family life, Ann said she felt like her parents were sucked into feeling like they had to have a family, and while they were ...

060 – Its Like Ripping The Wounds Off Over And Over

08 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alisa describes her life as the child of Latvian refugees who escaped the brutality and destruction of World War II. They raised Alisa in th...

056 – I Feel Whole… Finding Him Was The Key

01 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every day Leslie’s birth mother called the orphanage where she was left for adoption. So when Leslie located her birth mother 30 years ago, then tri...

016 – Shall we Cry? No, Let’s Just Laugh!

24 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer had a very happy childhood and always felt special because she was an adoptee; she knew her parents really wanted her. Their family was ...

210 - I'm Not Here To Judge

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we're going back to Lisa's journey from episode 197 that started this season. When I spoke with her last, she was filled with anxious anticipati...

209 - NCFA Adult Adoptee Survey

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ryan Hanlon, Pres. & CEO of the National Council For Adoption shares a special update about the adult adoptee survey. This is the third in a t...

208 - The Heisman Dives In

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You're about to meet Louise, from central California. Louise was loved by her adoptive family and while she thought about searching for her birth fami...

207 - My Feet Came To The Ground

03 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shelby, who lives near Seattle, Washington, grew up loved in adoption, but also in a home broken apart By domestic abuse. When the existence of her si...

206 - The Phoenix

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rachael, who lives in Dover, Delaware, is a transracial adoptee who endured favoritism toward her brother, microaggressions from her adoptive mother, ...

205 - Where The F_ck Is My Mother?

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Annie, from Auckland, New Zealand is a late discovery adoptee. When she learned that she was adopted the news made her blood run cold. She said her li...

204 - I Don't Mean That Much To Them

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today you're going to meet Joe, from New Jersey. Joe is a pseudonym for the true identity of my guest who wanted to remain anonymous. Joe didn't want...

203 - She Doesn't Fit Into My Life

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jillian, from New Jersey, found out she was adopted in her early teen years when she asked a question that lots of kids asked their parents about the...

202 - Healing Tree

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Danielle, from Kirkland, Washington, has always felt love and loyalty to her adoptive family. So when the doors of reunion were thrown open and infor...

201 - It's A Journey To Fit In And Connect

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amy, from outside of Chicago, grew up looking visibly different than her family in a way that didn't meet societal stereotypes for her family's belief...

200 - Puzzle Pieces Coming Together To Make Me Whole

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Laurie, from Washington state, grew up as an emotional child crying frequently, but no one ever asked what was wrong? They simply wrote her off as be...

199 - Patty Gave Me Life Twice

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pippa, from California, Pippa grew up in a wonderful Irish family where she and her brother were supported and loved. When her brother's birth mother ...

004 – Lucky Online, Connecting When You’re Not Even Looking

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up in Leah’s home everyone was comfortable with adoption. Her adopted mom is an adoptee, and her two siblings are adoptees, though they are ...

198 - So Many Twists And Turns

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I think of Pam, from outside of Richmond, Virginia, as a late discovery adoptee who learned she was adopted when another child spilled the tea. Speaki...

197 - Why Such A Secret?

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa and I connected right before she was going to meet her biological father for the first time and a cousin she's completely enamored with. Lisa sha...

196 - A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child At A Time

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rob called me from right here in Maryland. Trigger warning. Rob shares his harrowing story of his childhood surviving, mental and sexual abuse under t...

091 – I’m In The Middle Of Two Stories

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ashley had one of those moments where talking to her biological sister felt so familiar it was like texting and and responding to herself.  ...

075 – I’m Good On My Own, I Know Who I Am

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In her adopted family Tameko’s parents just assumed that as an adoptee, she was misbehaving, but when her older adopted brother showed up he actuall...

084 – There’s A Certain Sense of Completeness

04 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Neal’s search didn’t take off until he was 66 years old! He got a DNA kit for his birthday and within months he was in touch with his pa...

074 – I Feel Some Of It Too

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Serena told me she had a similar experience to what a lot of adoptees feel, even though she grew up with her birth mother. I’m always talking a...

066 – I’ve Had A Lot Thrown At Me, But I’m A Happy Human Being

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rick’s birthmother relinquished him into foster care where he was terrorized as a toddler. He was eventually adopted around age 6 but always felt li...

029 – A Lifetime of Interveners Saw Me Through

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Born in the Panama Canal Zone, Stephanie was adopted by a US military family stationed there in 1961. She was never told she was adopted, but she alwa...

195 - Filling The Hole From Not Knowing

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brittney, from Connecticut, grew up knowing but not closely connected with her biological mother . After a bombshell moment where her mom revealed the...

194 - Alone In The Middle

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Gabe called me early one morning from Salt Lake City, Utah. Gabe is a black transracial adoptee, and a transgender man from a family and community tha...

193 - Telling My Truth

10 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrie, who lives in Duluth, Georgia, learned she was adopted as a kid, then started coping with the rejection she felt by making up stories about he...

192 - Fearfully And Wonderfully Made

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Daughter Dee lives in Maryland with me. Dee had a wonderful upbringing in Philadelphia, PA where she was cherished and celebrated on her birthdays. ...

191 - On The Other Side Of The Fence

26 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Samantha, from south Florida, watched her adoptive mother reunite with the son she placed for adoption. Samantha found herself anticipating her own re...

190 - The Gathering Place, An Adoptee Story

19 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Emma described her adoption with words and concepts like "purchased", "captor", and "Stockholm syndrome". Those aren't the ideas behind a healthy pare...

189 - Reckoning With The Primal Wound

12 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca, from Tallahassee, Florida, grew up in a religious home where she was over protected and adoption was not discussed or explored. In reunion, S...

188 - Junkyard Girl

05 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Carlyn (Kar-leen), from Santa Fe, New Mexico, grew up in a junkyard house in a tough relationship with her adoptive mother. Caryln felt over protected...

187 - Through the Eyes Of The Most Vulnerable

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today you're going to meet candidate for Congress Maxwell Frost who called me from Orlando, Florida. Maxwell is a transracial adoptee who grew up love...

ADOPTEE REMEMBRANCE DAY #AdopteeRemembranceDay #ARD

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special episode of the, Who Am I Really? podcast. My guest today is Pamela Karanova, who first appeared on the show on episode 160, "Steppin...

186 - No Answers, Just Goodbye

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lynn, from Danville, Virginia knew she was adopted, but she never knew the secret that hers was a kinship adoption... and she had always known her bir...

185 - Cosmically Related

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Donna, from Scottsdale, Arizona, had a condition at birth which meant she was going straight to the hospital before her adoption, insuring her detachm...

184 - Merging Who I Was Supposed To Be With Who I Am

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Heidi, from Silicon Valley, California, grew up walking on eggshells, crying a lot and "staying small" in her world despite being gifted. She found h...

183 - The Journey Changes Your Soul

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jack from Phoenix, Arizona, said as a boy, he was kept separate from his sister who was biologically related to his parents. While he was interested i...

182 - Avoiding Dysfunction For My Mental Health

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

David, from San Jose, CA said when he was a kid he knew he was talented and smart but his gifts didn't seem to measure up to his adoptive parents expe...

Veronica

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I'm back for season 11 of the, Who Am I Really? podcast. It's going to be another moving season of open, heartfelt discussions about the adoption expe...

181 - Living In Adoptionland

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bryan Elliott, writer, director, producer, grew up in Southern California feeling under prioritized by his adoptive mother. At an early age, he had a...

180 - The Wandering Tree

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa, my guest from episode 168, "A Vein of Gratitude" is back to share how her reunion has been in the year since we spoke. Lisa and I chatted the ni...

179 - Building A Personal Trust Community

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike, from SoCo, Maine was cruising through childhood until he was told he was adopted. The news shook Mike's confidence in relationships and the afte...

178 - The Adoptee's Aftermath, Jenni Alpert aka Cami

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Singer/song writer Jenni Alpert, aka Cami, my guest from episode 96, is back to share an update on her life with her birth father, Don. Recall Jenni t...

096 - The Safe Space That's Don's Place

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Singer Song writer Jenni Alpert, commonly referred to by her birth name, Cami had a wonderful life supported by her adoptive parents as she pursued th...

177 - No Option To Ignore The Hard Stuff

21 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alyssa, from Jacksonville, Florida, is a biracial woman who was adopted into a white family in a white community. Living without racial mirrors. She r...

176 - I'm Glad I Opened Pandora's Box

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Shannon, from Hazel Green, Alabama, stood out from her adoptive family in looks and some personality traits. So there was a natural curiosity about he...

174 - It Wasn't You

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Larry, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, talks about his life as a transracial adoptee in a predominantly white community where many white parents adopted ...

173 - The Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Him

23 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Julie, from Humboldt County, California, had a wonderful reunion with her birth mother and has learned how a woman operates, which has helped Julie ma...

172 - I Died To Who I Had Been

16 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After years of struggling to get along with her adoptive mother, who struggled as a World War II survivor, Danielle finally figured out the reasons fo...

171 - Looking Like Him Might Be Too Much

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan's admits adoption was always part of his story and he was never made to feel special or different. But after his adopted sister sought out he...

170 - Something Good From The Misery

02 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike who called me from Berlin, Germany was born in St. Louis, Missouri. It's a place he ultimately fought hard to try to get away from because of its...

169 - The Constellation In One Woman

26 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca called me from outside of Richmond, Virginia. She has lived a life in adoption from the formation of her family, with her adoption to becomin...

168 - A Vein Of Gratitude

26 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Lisa and I chatted, she was in a hotel in South Dakota, but she normally resides in Tennessee. She was in town for the momentous occasion of reun...

167 - We Had Two Close Encounters

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today my guest is Micheleana who lives outside of Kansas city in Lawrence, Kansas. Micheleana's early life was tumultuous after her parents divorced. ...

166 - I Never Knew Nature vs Nurture

11 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today you're going to meet Michael who called me from Atlanta, Georgia. Michael grew up with adoptive parents who were functional alcoholics which mea...

165 - The Right Time To Be Found

04 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Elisa lives outside of Philadelphia. She shares her story of the DNA test. She completed to learn more about her heritage that surprisingly linked he...

164 - Adoptees Thriving

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Simon from the United Kingdom, knew he was adopted from as early as he can remember. When he finally decided to search for his birth mother, he had a...

163 - It's All About Connections

20 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Debbie lives outside of Portland, Oregon. Her parents adopted her and her brother too soon after tragedy struck their family. Debbie found her roots ...

162 - Looking At Him, I Could See Who I Was

13 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy lives outside of Sacramento, California. She and her sister were placed in foster care where they learned to protect themselves and be tough. Ci...

161 - Dear Stephen Michael's Mother, Kevin Barhydt

06 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin, from upstate New York, shares his journey to find his worthiness, to beat in this life. His search for his birth mother led him to the one woma...

160 - He Was Waiting For Me

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Erika called me from outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ericka and her older adopted brother were doing fine with their adoptive parents until the ...

159 - Voices of Indian Adoptees

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today's adoptee story is Winnie's. She called me from Los Angeles, California. Growing up, Winnie's adoptive parents were closed to discussing her ado...

158 - Creating Space To Find Who I Am

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pam called me from Lexington, Kentucky.Growing up in adoption she suffered in the care of her adoptive mother who was unable to be a to parent her ch...

157 - My Surreal Parents

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ed called me from here in Maryland. He shared the sad, circumstances of his adoptive parents losing two children, but not really healing from the loss...

156 - Sibling Strangers

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer, from Standardsville, Virginia, said growing up in New York, she had a very different childhood experience in her family than her sister, who...

069 – I Lived As A Secret, That’s Not Healthy

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Honor described a childhood in isolation, so much so that it impacted her health when she started school. Wondering about her biological parents,...

086 – Second Time

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As an interracial adoptee and musical artist, Ferera grew up feeling different from her adopted family. When her adoption was tear...

080 – It’s Not About How You Got Here

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel is a Hispanic woman of Chilean descent, raised in a Jewish family. She shared her feelings of otherness trying to connect with other Spani...

2020 NAAM - Adoptee Podcaster Perspectives

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adoptees have the ultimate voice about the adoption experience. Adoptee podcasters are offering fellow adoptees outlets for sharing their inner though...

020 – I Don’t Silence Julie Anymore

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michelle says growing up she felt very different from her adoptive family because she looked completely different from them. When she was a ...

076 – What Would My Life Be Like In Korea?

07 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kim is a Korean born adoptee raised in an all-white community. She shared how she always pushed down her desire to search for her birth mother&nb...

065 – Two Years Too Late, Then I Was Shocked

24 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dana received her original birth certificate and when her husband looked up her birth mother’s name they found her obituary. It took her two years t...

017 – He Is My Brother And I Will Find Him

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Renee searched for her mother literally her whole life. But her search predated the internet so she frequented the library and scoured local high...

155 - Adoptee Podcaster Perspectives, 2020 National Adoption Awareness Month

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adoptees have the ultimate voice about the adoption experience. Adoptee podcasters are offering fellow adoptees outlets for sharing their inner though...

154 - I Felt Like I Could Breath Again

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yvonne called me from here in Washington, DC. She is a birth mother in reunion with her son after more than 40 years apart. She shares the loneliness...

153 - Emotional Unraveling

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sari, a self-proclaimed nomad, called me from New Mexico. When she was a girl the school science project on heredity ignited her desire to learn her ...

152 - Together More: Rejection and Reunion

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roderick chatted with me from Ocala, Florida but he was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Roderick was adopted into a family where he was the ...

151 – “Junior”

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dirk, from Phoenix, Arizona, was raised as a Hispanic person and his documentation said he was Hispanic, but the world saw him differently. And DNA di...