I was honored to be the guest host for Fireside Adoptees interview series with special guest Lynelle Long.

Lynelle is the founder of InterCountry Adoptee Voices which serves for providing rich resources for adoptees.

This interview is posted with permission of Fireside Adoptees.

This podcast is about infertility and the feelings of loss that accompanying it

We also talked on topics of adoption and foster care. 

And the questions of how to talk to someone who has experienced miscarriage and infertility. 

Polly is a professional flutist and  is also a private flute instructor. Growing up with a musical father provided an encouraging environment to learn the accordion, piano, and flute. Her desire was to be a performance major and has earned a  Masters  from the Eastman school of music.

Take a listen to a light hearted conversation about Polly's beginning interest in music that took her on a musical path to teaching and then to performance!

Jay was adopted at the age of 8 months old to a family in Minnesota. As a young adult he was incarcerated where he was able to further his education in psychology. Jay also found a connection to God and faith and now works in prison ministry.

Listener warning: suicide ideation topic is mentioned

Sherrie was born in prison to a teen mom. She was placed into foster care at age two. At age nine, her mom wanted her back, but it was not a fairytale reunion. Sherrie suffered being molested by a family member and was placed into 47 different foster homes. Please listen as she shares her story of hope and her faith in God. 

TJ is a Korean born adoptee who resides on the East Coast of the US. She came to the US at age three and remembers her father's ice cream shop in Ithaca, NY. Later when she moved to another state she experienced being made fun of because of the shape of her face and dealt with sadness and loneliness as a junior high student. TJ also had to deal with the feelings of reabandonment when her mother left the family.

Through it all she has accomplished much and continues to work toward her life goals.

Listener discretion: The topic of assault occurs in this conversation. 

TruGuy is an ambassador of the heart, a poet, and a musician. He was born to parents who were blind. At six years old he experienenced a traumatic assault. Despite these traumatic experiences, Tru has been a seeker of the truth and is a healer through his poetry and music. 

Emma Stevens is the author of The Gathering Place. In this interview she discusses her book and the impacts of adoption.

Brett is a first generation queer transfer student who now works in student services in higher education. He is an advocate for all students who are on their pathway in higher education. He also wants to helps students and staff broaden their understanding of the queeer community through inclusivity and advocacy via displayed artifacts in workspaces. 

In this episode I visited with Dr. Patrick Dupont, who teaches courses in health professions. We talked about our journey through the doctoral process at ACU, career transitioning as mature individuals, and the desire to help students.