Chris’s story may not begin with a shocking discovery but it’s no less extraordinary. In this episode, Kendall and Corey sit down with Chris to explore a rare but deeply moving example of an open adoption that worked exactly as intended. Chris has known his birth parents for his entire life, and his adoptive parents invited his birth family in from day one.

But as we quickly learn, openness doesn’t mean immunity from pain. Chris reflects on how—even in a home full of love and acceptance—he still struggled with feelings of not being “enough,” of needing to prove his worth. He shares his journey through anxiety, early childhood trauma, and the therapeutic breakthroughs that helped him recognize the impact of the primal wound, even when adoption was never a secret.

Chris also speaks candidly about his experience surviving E. coli and kidney failure as a young child, and how that trauma shaped his early years. Through it all, his story is one of deep introspection, hard-earned insight, and powerful reminders that no two adoptee experiences are exactly alike—but the emotional threads often run in parallel.

Two Families, One Primal Wound💬 Topics Covered:

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• How a high school teacher’s lesson on IVF led to an adoption offer
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• The emotional complexity of open adoption
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• Navigating anxiety and the need to “earn” belonging
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• The impact of childhood trauma and medical emergencies
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• How therapy, self-reflection, and community help shape healing
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• The primal wound, even when you're never kept in the dark
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• Nature vs. nurture through the lens of two families
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💡 Why It Matters:

Chris’s story challenges the myth that adoptees raised in open, loving homes don’t struggle with identity or belonging. His willingness to speak about the nuance in his journey adds to the growing conversation around how all adoption stories—twisty or not—carry emotional weight.

🔜 Stay Tuned:

Part 2 continues Chris’s journey, with deeper reflections on how he navigates dual family connections, personality traits passed through biology, and the ongoing evolution of self-understanding.