Who Am I Really?
Episodes
150 – So Many Things Tie Together
22 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joe is from Assonet, Massachusetts, just south of Boston. He shares his pride for being an adopted person, the challenge to make his way through his p...
2020 NAAM – Male Adoptee Voices
15 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
November is National Adoption Awareness Month (#NAAM), a time to bring awareness to all of the issues that adoption brings to adoptees, families forme...
148 - Being More Positive Is Huge In My Life
08 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben, from Fannystelle, Manitoba Canada, had an extremely rough start in his first home with his biological family. He was abused at the hand of his st...
146 - You Were Who I Always Needed
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle, from Ohio. She talks about the challenge of her childhood, craving a connection, but having the one she shared with her Dad snuffed out.&nbs...
145 - Tommy Davidson, Living In Color - What's Funny About Me
17 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian television and film actor, and all around entertainer. Tommy Davidson has seen it all. He launched his comedy career in the Washington DC are...
144 – Gullah Girl
10 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brandi, who called me from myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is an inquisitive person adopted in to a family with a history of scholars, which is rare for...
143 - He Really Stepped Up
03 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Susan, from Irving, Texas, found her natural mother, she learned she was conceived in transit when two young lives collided, then never saw one a...
141 - That Wasn't The Real Me
20 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gloria called me from Texas where she grew up with Mexican parents. In younger days she tried to find the ways she looked like her family. In adulthoo...
140 - I Wanted To Be My True Self
13 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Darryl, from Australia, admits he had a challenging childhood from his relationship with his adoptive father, to their family's need to move around a ...
139 -A Sense Of Peace And Calm
06 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy, from Minnesota, had a lot of information about her natural mother and assumed the woman would want to know her, but that wasn't the case. They&...
061 – I Know They May Not Love Me…
06 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie grew up in a very wealthy family in South Carolina and you’ll hear discuss the family’s fortune, but pause before you pass judgment on h...
Goodbye 2020
05 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listen, I can’t even pretend it was easy to podcast during what has been an absolutely crazy year. Before I sign off season 7 I need to cover a...
136 – Your Absence Has Gone Through Me
21 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To date, I’ve only interviewed a few guests who weren't adoptees, and this will be another one. Today you're going to meet Anne-Marie from Southern ...
134 – Destined To Be Unique
07 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Liz, from Michigan, grew up in a neighborhood full of adoptees, so it wasn’t until years later in the Dominican Republic teaching a class with a lot...
133 - Bet She Was Praying For You
31 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Cheryl, the mother and our adoptee, is joined by her natural daughter Diahan from Washington state and South Florida respectively.Cher...
132 – Nearly Dying Is One Of The Best Things That Ever Happened
24 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Adrian, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, has lived around the country and in different parts of the world, only to find himself right back in ...
131 – I’m More Confused Now, I’m Broken
17 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Elissa, from Hilton Head, South Carolina, said never bonded with her adopted mother. She did find a second home with her horseback riding coach a...
130 – The Gift Best Given
10 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ed called me from Hillsborough, North Carolina, but his journey begins in New York City. He describes a wonderful life in the suburbs of the city with...
128 – A Peace Came Over Me
26 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Val called me from outside of Houston, Texas, but her story started in in Kansas. She had a great childhood with her parents until a neighbor rev...
046 – I Am Adopted, It Is Who I Am
19 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer is a reunited adoptee from Pittsburgh. She’s a petite, white blonde of European descent whose adoptive parents are a Spanish man and a...
063 – I’m Really Glad You Came, But It’s Gonna Be A While
12 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brenda was born in California, grew up on the east coast and lives in Texas. She’s the child of a military family that has lived all over. When...
033 – My Sister Reunited Too, But Didn’t Know About Me
05 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jenny journaled about her birth mother from an early age. She grew up in a loving family, but the urge to find her birth family was always there. When...
007 – I’m Great With My Family, They Love Me For Me
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As a child Denise’s family blamed her for a tragedy that took the life of her younger brother. They mistreated Denise and her tyrannical stepfa...
064 – The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
08 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Julie describes herself as very independent from her parents’ influences and drastically different than her older adopted brother. She tells th...
051 – The Black Sheep Rocks The Boat
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Megan says she put her adopted mother through the ringer emotionally when she was a teenager. She thinks that’s partially because of her anger with ...
044 – She Never Met Me, But She Saw Me
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Angie lived a split life as a child in small-town Mississippi. During the week her mother had her in all kinds of activities and her stepfather was he...
026 – I’ve Got A Second Mom And I Can Love Them Both
18 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
At 16 years old, Ron decided to satisfy his curiosity about his first family. But his search was challenging. He was born on a South Carolina Air...
Damon – Thank You Missouri
04 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I figured since I started season 6 with some personal stories of what I had been going on in my life I should end this season with an update on h...
127 – I Think I Was Afraid Of Knowing
27 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jim, who now lives in Delaware, said growing up he had no desire to search for his first family. After his parents passed and he found his adoption na...
125 – You Can Forgive People From Afar
13 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa called me from New Jersey to share her story of growing up in an abusive home. She had one unrelated adopted sister who didn’t have the same ex...
123 – I Have Room In My Heart And My Life
30 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle, who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, shared her story of growing up in the care of a workaholic mom in a family that she didn’t look like at...
120 – Sometimes You Just Have To Let People Go
09 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Veronica, called me from New Orleans, Louisiana. She tells her tale of insensitivity within her adoptive family, even with an adop...
118 – Those Were The Magic Words
25 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amy called me from Highland Township, outside of Detroit, Michigan. She described her early years dealing with the insecurities of her adopted mother ...
112 – My Whole Life Is a Success
14 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew called me from Connecticut after a move from Maryland. He told me that he’s been through a lot in his life. He’s a transracial, internation...
One Foot In Front Of The Other
08 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I planned to bring the show back this week, but the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 have been rough. When you listen to this one, you'll understand ...
014 – I Would Not Have Made It Without My Faith
01 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sara was the baby in her family of four biological half brothers to one another, and one other brother who was also adopted like her just like her. Wh...
008 – She Knew She Had To Do This For Me
25 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cindy had one sister growing up in a mormon family in Las Vegas. But the two adoptees looked very different: Cindy’s blue eyes and blond hair were i...
055 – I’ve Found My Answers And Fulfillment Helping Other People
18 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Katelyn followed her older adopted sister into rebellion against their adopted mother’s rule. Years later her husband suggested they do DNA tes...
059 – I’m Heather 1
04 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Vonni learned from the neighbor’s child that she was adopted, but she was too young to know what it really meant. In her teen years, the yearning to...
062 – One Month Of Bonding Helped Me With A Lifetime In Adoption
28 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tim was adopted into a Lutheran family and his curiosity about his roots started when he was very young. When he met his biologica...
039 – I’m An Adult, But They’re Acting Like Children
21 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mitch’s parents adopted his older brother, then him. Then they got a surprise addition to the family. They had a great life outside of Chicago, but ...
027 – I Got A Picture Of My Mother’s Sadness Though Other People
14 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a kid, Rebecca was considered quirky. Unbeknownst to her, that quirkiness was an after effect of fetal alcohol syndrome. She tells the story o...
002 – When the Law is in the Way, Try DNA
07 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Laura became a dear friend when we quickly bonded over being adoptees while working together. Laura had been searching for her family of origin for ye...
096 – The Safe Space That’s Don’s Place
24 Aug 2019
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...
054 – I Just Want To Sit And Be At Peace
27 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After 52 years in adoption, Mary never had a desire to locate her birth family. Her feeling was they had given her up, so she didn’t really wan...
018 – What I Gained Through Reunion Is Context
20 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca always knew she was adopted, but she also recognized that she didn’t quite fit with her adopted family. While she loved them a lot, she noti...
025 – I Feel So Lucky, I Got Way More Than I Bargained For
13 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With extra time on her hands, Jennifer used a Search Angel to locate her biological relatives. She connected with her maternal Aunt over Facebook...
015 – We Wish We Could Have Grown Up Together
06 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
David tried to find his birth mother in the early 90’s in California. He received non-identifying information back then, but it wasn’t much to act...
009 – What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
29 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mary is 78, but she still has stinging memories of her mother leaving her in another woman’s guardianship. The era was the Great Depression but...
022 – I’m Still On This Journey, Using My Experience to Help Others
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Marni grew up in Madison, WI in a transracial family that lived a predominantly white community. Everywhere they went, they were stared at for the...
028 – Working Out The Puzzle Pieces Helped Me Feel Whole
15 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Elise has always been into genealogy and loved looking at family photos & records when she was a child. As a child of adoption, she wondered where...
011 – From Childhood Rebellion to Thankful Reunion
01 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Sean was a kid, he found out he was adopted. That news created some conflict in him and challenged his identity. He began to rebel against his ad...
023 – I’ve Found My Joi
25 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up Joi tried to convince herself that being adopted didn’t bother her because she had such a great family. But in reality, great parents did...
093 – Who Am I Really? An Adoptee Memoir, A Preview
18 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know by now that I’ve written book to share my story, just like so many of our crib mates who have documented their own stories.It...
081 – I’ve Got The World By The Tail
23 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sandee shared the story of her life with an adopted brother who was coddled by their mother, so much so, that it reinforced her own natural position a...
081 – I’ve Got The World By The Tail
23 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sandee shared the story of her life with an adopted brother who was coddled by their mother, so much so, that it reinforced her own natural position a...
078 – I’m In Recovery, I’m In A Good Place
02 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Megan grew up in an affluent suburb of Chicago and was comfortable with her adoption, but curious about her start in life. After pregnancy,...
071 – I Would Give Anything To Hear His Voice
20 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda describes her childhood with a father she considered to be a hero and a mother whom she loves despite her physical and mental ab...
068 – I Don’t Feel Lost, I Know Where I Come From
29 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Daniela was born in a small mining town in Chile. Adopted by a German family who moved from South America to Miami, she never felt like she belon...
058 – I Feel Like I’ve Found My Tribe
26 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole was adopted into a military family, the structure of which ran against her freewheeling nature. She’s an interracial woman with interracial a...
057 -My Acceptance Is Etched In Stone
19 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kendra’s story is filled with peaks and valleys of emotion. After running far, far away in her teens, Kendra’s adopted mother blamed her for ...
052 – Little Who?
14 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kandi grew up in a loving Christian home, an adoptee with one older sister who was biologically related to their parents. Kandi found her biological m...
050 – Dem Smell De Blood, They Know Who You Are
31 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kennon was raised by in the lumber town of Mattawa, Canada, where he was one of the only people of color in the community. Growing up in a predominant...
049 – It’s Just More People To Love Me
24 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sherie said she sometimes thought about searching for her birth family, but even talking about it with her husband made her cry. She fi...
048 – It’s Not Always The Fairy Tale You Hoped For
17 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Kaitlin was nine years old she was ready to lobby for access to her original birth certificate. She attempted a reunion with her birth mother, wh...
047 – I Was In Charge Of My Destiny
10 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When Anna was born, her adoption resulted in Anna and her mother living as siblings. Very early in her life she lost her birth mother and her ado...
045 – This Child Will Find Me
24 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michael says he always knew he was adopted and spoke openly about it with anyone who expressed curiosity. However, when he launched his search, he did...
043 – When I Looked At Him, I Could See Things About Me
10 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Paige didn’t even know that searching for her birth family was an option until she learned about it on local tv as an adult. The topi...
042 – This Little Voice Said, “You Gotta Do Something”
03 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Right before Sharon left for college, her parents sat her down to say she was of age to start looking for her birthparents. She had never co...
040 – I Mattered Throughout The Years
20 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer was perfectly comfortable with her adoption until her teen years when her self-awareness was heightened, and her desire to learn more ab...
040 – I Mattered Throughout The Years
20 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer was perfectly comfortable with her adoption until her teen years when her self-awareness was heightened, and her desire to learn more ab...
038 – Interview w/ One Of My Two Genealogists
02 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When I met Bill, summer 2017, and found out he was a genealogist, I was excited to hear everything he had to say. I wanted to hear more about his...
037 – Interview w/ A Search & Reunion Social Worker
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Lee, my search & reunion social worker in Baltimore, MD, unlocked many of the answers about why I was placed for adoption. She worked to locate my...
035 – Interview w/ A Search Angel – For Every Answer You Get, There Are More Questions
18 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
November is National Adoption Awareness Month, so I’m bringing you a different perspective from the adoption community. On prior episodes ...
032 – Intervew With The Gift Of Adoption Fund
28 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today I’m bringing you something a little different for #NationalAdoptionMonth. There are a lot of people, processes, and policies integral to the a...
031 – Finding Hope
21 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Jamie grew up an only child with her wonderful adoptive parents in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. She was happy to hear in reunion that her birth parents...
030 – Don’t Fall For “I Can’t Talk To You On The Phone”
14 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Jen had a very nice childhood with her parents and never really wanted to search for her birth parents until her friends started having kids. But...
024 – I’m Deeply Hurt, But I Hope You’re Happy
02 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Louise was one of four a dual heritage children raised by white parents in England. She had a fantastic childhood. So much so that she has adopted twi...
021- With Every Heart Break, My Heart Gets Bigger
12 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Marcie finally felt plugged into her biological family after years of divisive behavior from her adopted mother. Her mother never nurtured a bond betw...
019 – Adoption Was Chapter Two Of My Life, I Had To Learn About Chapter One
29 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Michael grew up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. He led a comfortable life in the Williams loving home when he accidentally discovered, at 12 years...
012 – I Need This For My Sanity
10 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tom advocates for adoptee rights and shares his personal experiences about being adopted. He was adopted as an infant and things went so well his...
010 – How Can I Meet Her Without Telling Her Who I Am?
27 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Steve was raised in Baltimore, MD in a predominantly Jewish suburban neighborhood. But as he looked around at his friends and other families, he truly...
006 – I Forgave Her When My Son Was Born
29 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In adoption, Julie grew up in the Midwest with a family of trans racial adoptees. Her brothers are adopted from Vietnam, and her sister is white....
005 – Part of Her Memory That She Lost Was Me
22 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Terry shared the story of his biological parents’ wartime extra marital affair that brought him to life. He said his adopted parents felt...
003 – When the Search Finds You
08 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen grew up with five siblings, and they were all biologically related to her parents–she was the only adoptee! As a child she was told th...
001- The End of Summer Cake
25 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve shared an adoptee bond with my dear high school friend Andre for years. In this episode, Andre shares the story of his loving adopted...
000: Welcome to Who Am I Really?
04 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I’m devoting this program dedicated to helping people placed into adoption to explore their own emotions, desires, and questions abou...