Today we're joined by Melanie Dunstan, founder of The DNA Connection. Melanie is a trained Genetic Genealogist, Private Investigator, and Skip Tracer, with an extensive background in Nursing—who has five university degrees including a Master of Nurse Practitioner. She is passionate about using DNA to help solve mysteries, rebuild connections, and bring people back to their biological families.

Jigsaw Queensland is excited to be hosting a free online DNA 101 Workshop with Melanie on Saturday 28 June 2025—a special session designed for people impacted by adoption who want to learn more about using DNA testing as part of their personal search or family discovery. 

This episode offers a preview of the workshop--what DNA can offer, why its such a powerful tool for adopted people, and how you can join us for this valuable session.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

In this episode, we're joined by someone whose story weaves through early foster care, complex family connections, and the enduring search for belonging and identity. Nadia Levett was born in 1982 and adopted at the age of five after spending her early years moving between foster homes and biological family members. Her story is unique, layered, and incredibly moving—and there was so much to explore that we’ve decided to bring it to you across two episodes. Some of you might already know of Nadia, who launched her own podcast, the Australian Adoption Podcast, back in 2021.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

In Part Two, Nadia Levett continues her story. Nadia's experience weaves through early foster care, complex family connections, and the enduring search for belonging and identity. She was born in 1982 and adopted at the age of five after spending her early years moving between foster homes and biological family members. Her story is unique, layered, and incredibly moving—and there was so much to explore that we brought it to you across two episodes. Some of you might already know of Nadia, who launched her own podcast, the Australian Adoption Podcast, back in 2021.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Lisa Preston returns to Adopt Perspective with the next chapter of her extraordinary adoption journey — including her recent solo trip to the UK to spend time with her father, Richard. You can also catch Lisa on SBS Insight tonight (13 May 2025 at 8.30pm) in the episode 'DNA Doesn’t Lie', or watch on replay via SBS On Demand.

Born in England in 1970 and adopted at six weeks old, Lisa’s early life spanned continents. Her adoptive family emigrated to Australia when she was two, later welcoming a biological daughter. In her first appearance on the podcast (13 March 2024), Lisa shared her decades-long search for her birth family — a story of persistence, courage, and the belief that sometimes a “no” doesn’t stay a no.

In this follow-up episode, Lisa reflects on her recent solo trip to spend time with her father, Richard in Scotland, the emotional aftermath of reunion, and her continued hopes for connection. If you haven’t already, we recommend listening to her first episode before diving into this powerful update.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

One of the voices we hear from least often on Adopt Perspective is that of fathers who lost children to adoption. It’s a perspective that is vital but often left untold, and so we are deeply grateful whenever a father feels ready to step forward and share his experience. In this episode, we are joined by Bill Esman, who is the father of Tracy Shand, a previous guest on our podcast. You may remember Tracy’s story — we first spoke with her in July 2022, and again in the previous episode in April 2025. Bill only discovered he had a daughter when Tracy reached out to him after taking a commercial DNA test. Their reconnection has been an extraordinary journey — one that we are privileged to explore a little further today.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

You’ll often hear us at Jigsaw Queensland speaking about the lifelong issues of adoption. How we feel about our experience or where we find ourselves in our lives can vary greatly over the passage of time. Today’s guest, Tracy Shand, is an adopted person who has undergone many transitions in her adoption story and her life since we last spoke to her on 22 June 2022. We welcome her back today to share more of her story and updates. If you haven’t already, we'd recommend listening to her previous episode before this one.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

On March 21, 2013, Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a formal apology on behalf of the Australian Government to people affected by forced adoption.

At the 10th anniversary commemoration in Canberra in 2023, The Hon. Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Social Services, announced $700,000 in funding to strengthen support services for those impacted by forced adoptions. This additional funding led to the development of the Forced Adoption: Practical Skills and Awareness online training, which launched in November 2024 - an online course designed to support those who work with adults impacted by forced adoption, helping them better understand its history and lifelong impacts.

Today, I’m speaking with representatives from the two organisations responsible for developing the training, to learn about the intricate process of creating an outstanding and deeply valuable resource—one that has the potential to educate far beyond its intended audience - Beth Hyland, Strategy Design Lead from Portable and Patrick Beggs, Founder and Managing Director of PUR Production.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Dorothy Peel or Dot as she likes to be known, was just 18 years old when she lost her daughter to adoption in Perth in 1973. At the time, she was sent from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia to an unmarried mother’s home in Perth, just six weeks before giving birth. Since then, Dot has struggled with memory gaps regarding her experience, particularly surrounding her time in the hospital during and after her daughter's birth. These lost memories left her with many unanswered questions, until she applied for her files from the unmarried mother’s home and the hospital where she delivered her daughter. What she discovered in the files was chilling—and it may hold the key to some of the answers she has long been searching for.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised.  

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Sharlene Vonhoff was born and adopted in Brisbane in 1977. She was the first of two girls adopted into a farming family in regional Queensland. Today, she continues to farm with her husband, a third-generation farmer on the Darling Downs, where they have raised four children. Growing up adopted in a close-knit farming community has shaped Sharlene’s experience in unique ways. As someone who still lives in regional Queensland, she has faced additional challenges in exploring her adoption experience, without easy access to adoption-specific services. Sharlene is here today to share her story and how she began to truly navigate her adoption experience in her 40s. 

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

At Jigsaw Queensland, we have some really exciting plans for this year, and we’re kicking things off with something especially designed for people impacted by forced adoption. 

We’ve teamed up with Axis Clinic to offer an 8-week program called Overcoming Negative Self-Talk and Learning Self-Compassion.

To tell us all about it and how you can get involved, we’ve got two very special guests —Helen Angela Taylor, the CEO of Jigsaw Queensland, and Anna Lanyon, a Mental Health Social Worker from Axis Clinic.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.