Pulled By The Root - Amplifying Adoption Issues

Send us a text

Cathy Terkanian is the subject of the new Netflix documentary “Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter.” When Cathy received word that the daughter she gave up for adoption many years ago had disappeared, Cathy embarked on an extraordinary and tenacious journey to find her, steered by the unbeatable bond of a mother and child to discover the truth. The horror of what happened to her daughter is unimaginable.

In a recent post Cathy wrote on her daughter’s photo, “My name is Alexis, my adopted name was Andrea Bowman. My adopted parents starved me, ignored me, belittled me, abused me, murdered me, chopped up my body and burned me with the garbage. My adoptive Mother divided my ashes. Never forget my name.”

 This story is hard to hear, it is hard to watch but it its important we look this issue straight in the eye. Adoption does have a dark side, not everyone has a voice or a mother who walks through the fire to find justice. There is no doubt there are many injustices that will never be revealed. Cathy like many biological mothers was coerced into relinquishing her child, and told her daughter would have a better life. The horror of what happened to Alexis proves that pure evil exists. Alexis reached out for help and no one listened. Cathy is making sure everyone is listening now.


Justice for Aundria M Bowman facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/19ZDTKTHMK/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Now streaming on Netflix
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33163756/

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Mark Wills is a true definition of what it means to turn trauma into triumph. He is one of the highest producing notary loan signing agents in the country. Owner of a national loan signing service, best selling author and the course instructor of Loan Signing System, the premier notary signing agent training to thousands of people coast to coast.

Mark was born in Korea and given up for adoption at the age of two years old, only to be returned and put into the foster care system. Mark was then was adopted again at 8 years old. Mark has taken his many traumas and used them as motivation to become successful. It is now his passion to share his message with as many people as possible.

https://www.instagram.com/loansigningsystem

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Paul Fiscus, a devoted natural father, brings a unique perspective to the discussion on adoption and custody rights. His personal experiences have propelled him to become a passionate advocate for the rights of natural fathers. Paul's unwavering determination and in-depth understanding of the legal intricacies surrounding adoption highlight the hurdles that natural fathers can sometimes encounter.
His insights and commitment to creating change in the treatment of natural fathers make him an invaluable voice in the ongoing dialogue about fathers' rights in the adoption process.


Paul’s Song to his daughter:
https://youtu.be/WuEuw_cOgoQ

For more about Paul’s fight for his daughter, and additional resources:
https://freeeliza.com/

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Sarah Reinhardt and Louise Browne, two adult adoptees and former business partners who had a successful ice cream truck in Los Angeles, team up again — this time in frank and honest conversations about adoption, centered on the adoptee experience.

Each season Sarah and Louise recap a chapter from a book focused on adoption and then interview a fellow adoptee.  

Sarah and Louise came out of the 'fog' in real-time through Seasons One and Two and are advocating for change in the adoption industry. 

For more about Sarah & Louise, 
https://www.adoptionthemakingofme.com/

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Simon Benn was adopted at 5 weeks old, and is the founder of “Thriving Adoptees” podcast that honorably focuses on the issues adopted people face. Simon came out of the fog at 40 years old, and all was going well until he discovered that his teddy bear was a gift from his birth mother. This unleashed an eruption of anger, and feelings of rejection and of being unloved for Simon. This put him on his journey to heal and help others. 15 years later, Simon continues to support adoptees through his podcast, consulting, webinars. 


https://www.thrivingadoptees.com/ 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

That led to a quest to heal, healing and a desire to help others. 

​

15 years later I work with others who want to support adoptees through my podcast, consulting,  webinars and any other way I can.

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

In this episode, our guest who wishes to remain anonymous shares her story with remarkable detail and honesty. The death of her adopted sister Susie motivated her to become an advocate for adoptees. Her journey began in 1953 when her 19-year-old mother, under pressure from relatives, gave her up for adoption. Anne was adopted at birth through a private arrangement. At 18 months old, her adoptive parents introduced Susie, another adopted child, into their family.

Anne’s upbringing in the Philadelphia suburbs fostered her love for art, leading her to earn multiple degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. She later moved to New York City, where she pursued painting and worked in advertising. During this period, she faced severe anxiety and panic attacks, unknowingly linked to her adoption.

In the mid-1990s, Anne found her birth parents and discovered a familial connection to art through her paternal grandfather, a portrait painter. Returning to Philadelphia in 1998, she continued painting and teaching art. By 2000, she became active in the adoptee rights movement and joined the Adoption Forum in 2005.

The tragic loss of Susie in 2021, due to the emotional trauma of adoption, has driven Anne to renew her advocacy efforts for adoptees.

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

“Mae Mae” is an adopted person who leads a double life as a teacher and songwriter anchored in the Northwoods with a heart rooted in the West. During the school day she’s building resiliency with her middle schoolers, knee deep in equal parts shenanigans and hope. On her lunch breaks and down time, she gets muddy in song and tales with her various ensembles and creative companions. She savors shore time, quiet time with her hubby, listening to music, and writing it, all of it, down. In this episode, Mae Mae opens her heart to explore the complexities of relinquishment. Her tender soul is evident in every word she says,our conversation was enriching, heartbreaking and inspiring.

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Stephen Rowley, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist practicing in Bainbridge Island, Washington. His professional past includes serving as an elementary school teacher and principal, and a school district superintendent in Washington and California. He has been a college professor at three universities, teaching courses in educational administration and organizational theory. He holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University. His new book is: The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny (Chiron Publications, Sept. 2023). In our episode Stephen focused on the feelings an adopted person struggles with. In his words:

 “Imagine there’s an orphan who lives within them. The orphan is homeless, restless, disconnected, and searching for something or someone it can’t find, including its very soul. For some, the orphan’s persistent presence may arise intermittently through feelings and behavior at any stage of life or circumstance. No orphan, however, is beyond redemption. The lost orphan can be found in the shadows and brought to the safety and security of light. Disconnection can be healed by loving reconnection. In our conversation Stephen fleshed out the issues of abandonment with tenderness, insight and compassion.”

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

Gretchen Sisson, Ph.D. is a qualitative sociologist who studies abortion and adoption in the United States. She is a researcher at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.   

Gretchen’s studies on adoption include hundreds of in-depth interviews with women who have relinquished infants for domestic adoption over the past sixty years, with a particular focus on women who have relinquished since Roe v. Wade. Her research on adoption decision-making after abortion denial (as part of The Turnaway Study) was cited in the Supreme Court’s dissent in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Healthfrom Justices Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor.  

In response to the oral arguments and decision in Dobbs, Gretchen authored pieces in the Washington Post and The Nation. In these op-eds, Gretchen condemns the court’s decision that adoption over abortion is the best moral alternative and outlines the harsh realities women face when relinquishing a child for adoption. Gretchen has a strong media presence and has been published and quoted in AP News, Atlantic, BBC,Bitch Media, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, Intelligencer, Good Morning America, Ms Magazine, NBC News, Next Question with Katie Couric, Publisher’s Weekly,

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/

Send us a text

   Carl Niedzielski, named John DellaPenna at birth, was born in Western Massachusetts during the Baby Scoop Era of the late 1960s, and was relinquished and then adopted at some point at or soon after birth. Due to the low birthweight documented on his original birth certificate, it is assumed he spent time in NICU and also probably in foster care or in an orphanage such as the one operated by the agency that managed his adoption, Brightside for Children. As he has learned more about the impact of early childhood trauma, and connected more dots between his life experiences and the research in that area, a focus of his searching has been on finding out about his first few months of life; but the task has been challenging and may not ever be successful. While Carl always knew he was adopted, he did not learn about his biomom until 5 years ago, when he obtained his original birth certificate, which gave his biomom’s name, Gladys, and also the surprising information that she had been 41 years old at the time of his birth— in the 1960s, that would have been considered a very high risk pregnancy. He has recently been surprised again, when a random re-check of old Ancestry data yielded first contact with a bona fide biological relative. But that is when the story got weirder and led to the resolution many adoptees face: A more shocking story than expected, more information than ever hoped for, but still persistent gaps that with passing time are unlikely to be filled. Professionally, Carl works as a Senior Director, Grants and Research Development for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He is a passionate mental health advocate, reader, armchair detective, binger of all things, urban hiker, word-gamer, and beacher. He is a beginner in the adult adoptee community, but you can find him on social media occasionally participating in many of the wonderful online communities for adult adoptees. In this episode we weave Carls personal journey with his professional insights. He sheds light on the reality of suicide research along with a bounty of ideas on how we can take action. 

Resources mentioned: 
AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
NAMI( National Alliance on Mental Illness)

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/