In this week’s Unraveling Adoption podcast, Beth talks with Kevin Burgart from the Nashville area. He’s an adoptee, adoptive parent of two children with significant special needs, and recently he became the adoptive parent of his grandchild as well. Since Kevin has been on both sides of this equation, he has a unique perspective on adoption. His life has been more challenging than most in many ways. We will dig into the obstacles he’s faced, and talk about what resources he’s found to help him cope. 

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RESOURCES:

Kevin’s information:

• Find Kevin on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/kevin.burgart.1 

Helpful resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier: https://amzn.to/40bfXX0

• Journey of the Adopted Self by Betty Jean Lifton: https://amzn.to/42RZLMj

• Adoptees On podcast with Haley Radke: https://www.adopteeson.com/

Other Resources:

• APtitude Support Group for Adoptive Parents Facing Adoption’s Challenges: UnravelingAdoption.com/APtitude

• Other Parents Like Me -  https://www.facebook.com/other.parents.like.me

• Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents of Addicted Teens: https://heatherrosscoaching.com/

• Find a Tele-Therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/online-counseling

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Unraveling Adoption is produced and hosted by Beth Syverson

Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao

Email questions or comments to [email protected]

Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Support UnravelingAdoption on Patreon: Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption

www.UnravelingAdoption.com

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TIME STAMPS:

  1:22 Kevin’s adoption story and childhood

  2:53 How adoption affected Kevin’s teen years with emotional and behavioral issues 

  3:38 The start of Kevin’s search for his biological family, then blocked for 41 years

  6:24 Adoptive parents were loving and helpful with search 

  8:04 New research about biological family in 1991, more falsehoods, adoptees beware!

  9:21 Registration with databases, a few teasers

10:20 Finally received birth certificate after 48 years, but all his parents were gone by then

12:45 Pursuing other family members through DNA, expectation v. reality

17:35 Does Kevin feel “lucky” to escape being raised by his birth family?

19:05 Connections with Kevin’s 15 bio siblings

21:52 Deciding to adopt older children with special needs

24:10 Disruptions and chaos with adopted siblings

27:20 Major struggles with adopted son because of so much trauma in his life

33:55 Adopting their son’s infant child

37:30 How Kevin reckons with parenting these troubled children

39:00 Resources that have helped Kevin, and advice for adoptees in search