Danna Schmidt is an end-of-life navigator, ceremonialist, and adoptee who often writes about ritual and threshold moments at the bedside or graveside. Her writings have appeared in Adoptee Voices, Severance Magazine, Grown and Flown and in Maggie Oman Shannon’s Crafting Love: Sharing Our Hearts Through the Work of Our Hands. She has two works in progress: a hybrid guidebook, Funerals, Families & Other Exciting F Words, and her adoption memoir, What the Stork Brought, which chronicles family secrets and the prices we pay to keep them.

https://waypointceremonies.com/

Rituals of Healing from Birth to Worth - Waypoint Ceremonies

https://AltaredMoments.substack.com

Music by Corey Quinn

Ed Di Gangi was adopted at the time of his birth. It wasn't until late in his adulthood that he chose to explore the identity of the woman who had placed him for adoption so many years before. His meticulous research led to his learning the circumstances of his birth and subsequent adoption. A dna sample helped him identify his birth father. While neither his father nor his first mother were still alive when Ed made his discoveries, he is in reunion with both maternal and paternal half brothers and a number of first cousins. His search and these reunions are chronicled in Ed's first book, The Gift Best Given: A Memoir. His second book, Gliding Through Goodbye traces his birth mother's travels and her emotional journey in the years after relinquishing him for adoption. Ed lives with his wife, Linda, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. They recently became grandparents for the first time. Emery Kramer Di Gangi made an early appearance on Easter Sunday and is flourishing.

https://www.digangiauthor.com/

Music by Corey Quinn

Jean Widner is the author of a new book, The Adoption Paradox: Putting Adoption in Perspective. Today we’re talking about her road to understanding adoption and why she wrote this important book. Jean was born in 1965 and raised in Washington State as an adoptee. After having a mostly positive adoption experience growing up, she shares her story, as it continues to evolve navigating adoption’s complexities. Her book includes a fascinating history of adoption, as well as individual stories from birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees that bring an authenticity to the adoption narrative. Jean currently lives in Boulder City with her husband and two dogs and loves traveling the American west in their camping van while they work and play.

https://adoptionparadox.com/

Music by Corey Quinn

Chris Benton from the UK (Birmingham) was fostered until 2 years of age prior to adoption. He listens to OUATIA podcast while doing landscaping work for his business. He recently transitioned from tree surgery to grounds maintenance (landscaping).

He has an adoptive older brother (troubled) and in contact with bio brother who is 4 years younger (also adopted out) who lives in the US (Michigan). Chris has spoken with foster father (foster mother has dementia) and in contact with bio mom (psych issues). He is in contact with a bio paternal uncle and unaware if his bio dad is alive. Chris subsequently submitted DNA through Ancestry. Within his home there was no talking about adoption; “if parents don’t, then I won’t”.

Music by Corey Quinn

Stacey Gatlin, a passionate servant leader, is on a mission to transform the lives of children, women, and families through her commitment to personal, professional, and community development. She transitioned her corporate experience in talent management, leadership, and project management into entrepreneurship and advocacy.

Stacey was compelled to rewrite the narrative around Black adoption and fostering when she became a mom through adoption. Fueled to counteract negative stereotypes, she created Yes We Adopt in 2016. Through this platform, Stacey seeks to enlighten the Black community on the need for Black adoptive and foster parents.  As she further engaged with the adoption constellation, she refined her mission for Yes We Adopt to educate, uplift, and empower Black families with the tools they need to parent with courage while centering adoptees and birth families with care and respect. In 2020, she created the Yes We Adopt: Black Voices Amplified Summit to elevate our voices through community, advocacy, and education. In addition to her work in Yes We Adopt, Stacey also serves on the Board of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates (AKA) and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in New Jersey, advocating for children in foster care.

She has conducted workshops at the Concerned Persons for Adoption “Let’s Talk Adoption” Conference and Christ Church’s “Foster Care & Adoption Seminar.”  She has also appeared on Fox Soul TV’s “The Book of Sean”; Yes, We Do Adopt! Podcast; The Adoption Journey Podcast, and was also featured in Rolling Out Magazine.

Stacey holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Rutgers School of Engineering. She is motivated by the scripture, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.”  Phillippians 4:6-7 

Music by Corey Quinn

Music by Corey Quinn

Leslie Lee at the age of 58, is just beginning to explore what it truly means to be adopted. As a same-race adoptee, she was placed with her family at eight weeks old, according to the transcript she received from the agency (Louise Wise) that facilitated the adoption.

For most of her life, she carried this part of her identity in silence—only sharing it with a select few friends and family members. Secrecy, and at times shame, shaped much of her experience.

Today, she's married, a proud mother of two adult sons, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren. Professionally, she built a meaningful career as a human resource specialist, with over 23 years of experience in higher education. She also holds several professional certifications in her field.

Outside of work, she's rediscovering her love for reading as a way to disconnect from the noise of current events. Leslie recently took up knitting—still a novice, but enjoying the learning process through both in-person and online lessons. This season of life is about learning what brings her peace, what pleases her, and what helps manage stress in healthy, fulfilling ways.

She's honored to share space within the adoption constellation and to finally connect with a community that understands this journey—people who simply get her, just because.

Music by Corey Quinn

Veronica is the co-author of "Rooted in Adoption-A Collection of Adoptee Reflections" and the "Rooted in Adoption Journal" now on Amazon. Veronica's Instagram is @rootedinadoption0520

Recommendations: https://www.sdpb.org/2012-07-16/piecing-together-stories-of-families-lost-in-slavery

https://growbeyondwords.com/2015/08/screening-questions-when-seeking-an-adoption-competent-therapist/

Music by Corey Quinn

Kimberly L. Carter is a women's leadership strategist, speaker, and author of the journal, “Rise, Thrive, and Flourish”. With a background in spirituality, empowerment, and Gen Z leadership development, she helps women and organizations cultivate confidence, clarity, and purpose. Through her consulting work, coaching, and vibrant online presence, Kimberly empowers the next generation of leaders to show up boldly, speak with authority, and lead with heart. She is a military veteran, holds an MBA and M.Div., and is pursuing a PhD in Women's Spirituality.

Connect with her at www.kimberlycarter.live or on Instagram @kimberlycarterlive

Laura Batt (she/her) was adopted domestically as an infant and raised in a closed adoption. She has been in reunion with her biological family for 26+ years. Laura is also a birth/first parent to her oldest adult son. She is parenting another teenage son and young child with her significant other in Oregon.

Laura worked in pregnancy and parenting support for 20+ years. She has a Master’s degree in social work, and she has certifications in adoption therapy and perinatal mental health. Laura has experience supporting families with open adoption relationships and providing post adoption support. She is currently a perinatal social worker in a medical setting. 

Website: https://adoptionmosaic.com/

Music by Corey Quinn