So.... I'm Adopted Podcast!

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A trash bag should never be the first thing a child associates with foster care, yet that is still how too many kids are forced to move their lives. We sit down with Rob Scheer, founder and CEO of Comfort Cases, CNN Hero, author, and dad, to trace how one of the most dehumanizing details of the child welfare system became the spark for a national nonprofit focused on dignity, belonging, and practical care.

Rob shares what it felt like to enter foster care at 12, what “love” meant when he watched other families from the outside, and how the need for connection can linger even alongside severe childhood trauma. We talk honestly about what happens when placements change, therapy comes late, and communities stop showing up for families in trouble. He also takes us into his journey of adopting through foster care, fighting for his kids in court, and building a home where empathy is taught, practiced, and passed forward.

Then we get specific about solutions. Rob explains what goes into a Comfort Case and why new items like pajamas, hygiene supplies, books, and a comfort object are not extras, they are dignity. He also lays out how the Comfort XL duffel bag replaces the trash bag, and how anyone can help by becoming a Bagbuster for $10 a month at comfortcases.org. We close on a powerful personal takeaway: forgiveness as a way to reclaim your strength and move your healing forward.

If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with someone who cares about foster care and adoption, and leave a review so more people can find these stories and the ways to act on them.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

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We talk about the questions people ask when they find out we’re adopted and why certain words can land as judgment, stigma, or shame even when curiosity is genuine. We share better language, real examples from our lives, and a simple goal: give adoptees respect and control over their own story. 
• why people ask adoption questions and how curiosity turns messy 
• how TV and movies shape adoption stereotypes and stigma 
• why “real parents” is loaded language and what to say instead 
• how gratitude and grief can coexist in an adoption journey 
• what “why didn’t she keep you?” gets wrong about birth mothers and love 
• adoption versus abandonment and why context matters 
• why reunion is not a fix and how identity keeps evolving 
• better questions that empower adoptees and invite consent 

Like it, subscribe, share it. 

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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We sit down with author Lauren Stevens and her husband, adoptee Dana Miyoshi, to trace a journey from Osaka to rural Montana and back to Japan, and to name the identity shifts that come with kinship adoption and cultural loss. Along the way, we talk about what secrets do to families, why truth can be painful but freeing, and how listening can be a real form of love. 
• John shares a Mother’s Day milestone by honoring his first mom publicly 
• Lauren introduces kinship adoption through Dana’s story of being adopted by an aunt and uncle 
• Dana explains what it’s like to always know you’re adopted and still carry big questions 
• Growing up Asian in eastern Montana and learning to live with feeling “other” 
• Returning to Japan through the Navy and the emotions of reunion with birth family 
• The shock of learning Dana’s father died by suicide and how secrecy spreads guilt 
• How a private bill signed by President Kennedy made Dana’s adoption possible 
• Assimilation pressures, losing language, and why cultural roots matter 
• Adoption’s impact on love, self-worth, and the fear of being left 
• What Lauren hopes readers take from All Sorrows Can Be Born: agency through telling the story and refusing to judge 
Hit the subscribe button, hit the like button. You can find us on all platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, uh, wherever you find your podcast. If you have any questions for us, if you want to be a guest, send us an email. 

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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We come back with a real talk about adoption myths and how they shape the way people see adoptees and adoptive families. We trade labels like “damaged” or “lucky” for truths that leave room for gratitude, complexity, curiosity, and healing. 

We start by bring back our famous adoptee spotlight. Lisa talks about actor Logan Browning and how publicly sharing her adoption felt freeing, especially while navigating questions about racial identity. John brings Edgar Allan Poe into the conversation, tracing how non-traditional family structures can shape creative geniuses and reminding listeners that you do not need a “perfect” origin story to become whole.

Then we dig into the core of the night: adoption myths that show up at family gatherings, in media, and sometimes inside our own heads. We unpack why adoptees are not “damaged,” why gratitude does not cancel curiosity, and why adoption does not magically erase identity questions. We also talk reunion reality: not every adoptee wants to search for birth parents, and access to sealed adoption records and an original birth certificate can depend on state laws. Throughout, we keep coming back to what helps most: supportive environments, respectful language, and open conversations that make space for both love and complexity.

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by other people’s assumptions about adoption, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest adoption myth you want to see retired for good.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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You can spend decades feeling like your story starts in the middle, then one DNA match changes everything. We sit down with Pekitta Tynes, a professional comedian, inspirational speaker, and the author of Thank God I Was Adopted Because DNA Is No Joke, and she brings humor and honesty to the parts of adoption that are hard to say out loud. Pekitta was abandoned without a birth certificate, moved through foster care, and was adopted at nine, which meant even basic facts like a birth date had to be guessed and assigned just so life could move forward.  We talk through what it really takes to begin an adoption search when you have missing records and big emotions. Pekitta shares the early clues that helped her keep going, the role of adoptee support groups in learning the language of adoption trauma, and the practical reality that some people will not talk, not help, or will disappear into silence. We also dig into the difference between closed adoption and open adoption, and why secrecy can echo for years in identity, trust, and relationships.  

Then we get into the DNA testing side: AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and deeper analysis tools, plus what it feels like to see a first cousin match show up on your screen. Pekitta is clear about the warning label here: DNA can give you answers, but it can also hand you truths you did not expect, so emotional preparation matters. We close with one of her best takeaways for adoptees and anyone carrying unresolved pain: write it down, tell the story, and let the feelings rise so you can finally process them.  

If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with someone who is searching, and leave a review so more adoptees and families can find this podcast.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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Adoption can hold joy and ache in the same breath. We open with reunion—meeting a sister after years—and the quiet courage of calling a birth parent “mom,” even while honoring the mother who raised us. From there, we move through grief, village support, and a practical update on a genealogy case that’s finally in motion. The heart of our conversation explores transracial adoption: why the numbers are growing, how economics and systems shape who adopts, and what it really takes to raise a child whose race and culture differ from your own.

We get specific. Representation starts with small choices—books and dolls that look like your child—and grows into bigger commitments: finding mentors and barbers, choosing teachers and communities that reflect them, and learning the language of care. For Black girls, hair is identity and dignity; we unpack the Crown Act’s context and why hair literacy is parenting, not a nice-to-have. We also share ten insights gathered from adult transracial adoptees: love deeply, talk about race and adoption early and often, build mixed-race friendships, and never pretend differences don’t exist. A diverse neighborhood helps, but it won’t do the work for you.

Ethical questions surface—cultural loss, power imbalances, and the dangers of a rescue mindset—and we answer with intentional parenting: relationship over rescue, respect over control, listening over certainty. Along the way, we highlight Sandra Bullock’s public blueprint for awareness-driven love: celebrate heritage, prepare kids for bias, and keep learning. If family is commitment plus culture, the job is to widen the table so children can hold all their parts with pride.

If this conversation moved you, follow So I’m Adopted on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find us. What’s one small act that made you feel seen? Tell us.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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What happens when the truth comes early, a storm knocks out the island’s power, and a single name spoken in a courtroom echoes for decades? We bring you Jennifer’s journey—from being adopted at two days old on Guam to leading an NYC adoption agency for older youth—and the winding path between belonging, uncertainty, and grace.

We talk about the power of honest language in childhood and how it turns “You’re adopted” from a weapon into a badge of identity. Jennifer shares how race and visibility shaped daily life when strangers questioned family resemblance, and why being the only sibling placed for adoption can hold both gratitude and unanswered why. A typhoon delayed the phone lines, a JAG attorney steadied the process, and years later a letter reopened a closed adoption with care, caution, and compassion. The first reunion happened at a family gathering; the next brought both families together, proof that love can hold complexity without breaking.

We go deep on adoption‑competent therapy—why standard counseling often stalls with adoptee‑specific trauma, ambiguous loss, and reunion dynamics, and how specialized clinicians change the work. Jennifer traces her calling to public service, moving to New York, and stepping into leadership at an agency that finds families for teens in foster care. The job brings vicarious trauma, but also purpose: a daily commitment to permanence, safety, and dignity for youth who’ve been told they don’t matter.

If you’ve ever stared at a blank line on a birth certificate or felt the pull to find a missing piece of self, this conversation offers language, tools, and a little hope. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the moment that stayed with you most. Your voice helps others find the support they deserve.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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What happens when a four-year-old's brave disclosure at a doctor's appointment changes the trajectory of her entire life? Sana Latrice Cotton joins us to share her extraordinary journey through foster care, adoption, and eventual reconnection with her biological family that will leave you breathless with its divine orchestration.

From being separated from her twin brother when he was incarcerated at age 15 to discovering her future husband's grandmother had mysteriously kept her childhood photo for years, Sana's story reveals how our deepest wounds often become our greatest purpose. Her raw account of navigating multiple family systems—biological, foster, and adoptive—illuminates the complex emotions adoptees experience while seeking identity and belonging.

Now the founder of Unashamed Inc., Sana has transformed her trauma into purpose by creating community for teenagers in foster care—the "forgotten" age group she believes needs the most support. Her organization provides branded merchandise that removes stigma and celebrates foster youth identity, while her "Roots and Wings" program helps adult adoptees locate their biological families. Her recent discovery of her biological father's family after decades of searching offers hope to anyone still looking for answers.

The most powerful moment comes when Sana reveals how opening her mouth as a child not only saved her life but continues to save others through her advocacy work. "Tell your story," she urges, "because it's attached to the freedom of so many other people." Whether you're an adoptee, foster parent, or someone who loves someone touched by adoption, this conversation will remind you that no part of your story is wasted when you have the courage to share it.

Follow Sana on social media @SanaLatrice or visit her nonprofit at unashamedinc.org to learn how you can support foster youth in finding their voice and purpose.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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This intimate conversation offers a rare glimpse into how adoptees and their families navigate the complex emotions that arise when biological relatives are found. We explore the tension between excitement and caution, the fear of rejection from both sides, and the healing that happens when communication remains open.

• The deep need adoptees have to understand their biological origins beyond their loving adoptive homes
• How medical appointments can become unexpectedly painful moments for adoptees lacking family health history
• The "tunnel vision" adoptees sometimes experience in their excitement to connect with birth relatives
• Fears adoptive family members may have about being replaced or forgotten
• How children of adoptees process meeting biological relatives at their own pace
• The importance of allowing organic relationships to develop without pushing
• Finding balance between honoring adoptive family bonds while exploring biological connections
• The concept that "two things can be true at the same time" in adoption relationships

Join us on Instagram and Facebook at @soImAdopted and subscribe to our YouTube channel "So I'm Adopted" to continue this important conversation.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
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What happens when an adoptee grows up in an open adoption during the 1990s and becomes a children's book author? Sasha Sedman takes us through her remarkable journey, revealing the beautiful complexity of relationships that form when adoption is treated with honesty from the beginning.

Sasha shares the extraordinary story of her birth - how her adoptive mother became friends with her birth mother during pregnancy and was even present in the delivery room. From a wicker bassinet rescued from an alley to Raggedy Ann dolls that connect generations, the physical objects of Sasha's adoption story symbolize the thoughtful ways her families remained connected throughout her life.

The conversation explores the nuanced dynamics between adoptive and birth families, particularly the different comfort levels each person brings to these relationships. Sasha recounts meeting her paternal biological family in her twenties and discovering shared physical traits she'd never experienced before. She articulates the delicate balance of boundaries, explaining how her adoptive parents empowered her with freedom of choice while preparing her for the realities that birth family members might also have their own boundaries.

Most powerfully, Sasha reveals how her adoption experience directly influences her work as a children's author. Her book "First Day: An Adoption Story" provides families with a universal adoption narrative and space to document their unique stories. She also discusses "All Out of Ducks," her humor-filled book about parental exhaustion that incorporates critical maternal mental health resources she wishes she'd had during her own postpartum depression.

The episode culminates with Sasha's wisdom on normalizing diverse family structures and validating the complex emotions that accompany adoption. As she puts it, "Any feelings you have are valid, and any feelings other people have are valid" - a perspective that creates space for honest conversations and deeper connections in all types of families.

Ready to explore the world of open adoption through a storyteller's eyes? Listen now and discover how one author is helping families write their own narratives of belonging.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by  Lisa Sapp 
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

 Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on 
IG soimadoptedpod
FB so.i'm adopted
Youtube SO...I'M ADOPTED
Email [email protected]