REPLAY: Adoptee Remembrance Day Virtual Candlelight Vigil - Ep 121
Release Date: 11/27/2023
Unraveling Adoption
"The Church, of course, is doing everything it can to silence victims." - Brendan Watkins EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, the host, Beth Syverson, interviews Brendan Watkins, an Australian adoptee who shares his emotional journey of discovering his origin story filled with religious intrigue. Brendan found out that his birth mother became pregnant in the 1950s and relinquished him for adoption, and later became a nun. He then discovered that his birth father was a Catholic priest. Brendan's memoir, Tell No One, sheds light on the challenges faced by children of priests...
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"I never learned the word stress until I was 14 years old. And I can guarantee you I was very stressed well before the age of 14." -- Rae =============== đ Order our book Adoption and Suicidality: đ Community Calendar: â¨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: đSign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: =============== EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson interviews Rae, whose handle is Adoptee Reclaimed. Rae discusses how being homeschooled from kindergarten through high school in a conservative family led to feelings of isolation...
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"I really want to focus on the collective nature of being stolen, because it wasn't just me. It was the vast majority of Native adoptees." -- Pete Patton Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, co-hosted by Beth Syverson and her son Joey, they interview Pete Patton,LCSW, an Indigenous Inuit adoptee who shares his experiences of being stolen and adopted. Pete discusses the historical context of racism in Oregon and the impact it had on Native American communities there and elsewhere. He also delves into his journey of reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage and the healing...
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Adoption and Suicidality with Joey Nakao, Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao, Bruce Porth, Janell Strube, Laura L. Engel, Lorraine Dusky, Terri Dreismeier, and Melissa Brunetti - Ep 158 "Despite working hard on a daily or moment-to-moment basis to stay alive, the poem revealed a thin thread of hope that by turning toward and befriending my pain, I might just find a way through it." -- Bruce Porth, one of the bookâs contributors â¤ď¸â𩹠If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (Outside US, call your areaâs crisis line.) â¤ď¸âđŠš...
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"We have only ourselves. And when I'm thinking about that, I'm thinking how strong we are. Because we have survived and still live and still create and still talk about our history." -- Kâlånguak Absalonsen Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the privilege of speaking with Kâlånguak Absalonsen, an adopted person from Greenland living in Denmark. Kâlånguak shared her unique perspective on adoption, colonization, and the challenges faced by Inuit people in Denmark. She highlighted the impact of colonization on adoption practices and the struggle to maintain...
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info_outline Insights from Plant Medicine for the Adoption Constellation with Mee Ok Icaro and Leslie Pate Mackinnon - Ep 152Unraveling Adoption
âPsychedelics can offer a portal to other consciousnesses and open spaces beyond our regular reality.â -- Mee Ok Icaro (adoptee) âPsychedelics can be a powerful tool for deep work and accessing feelingsâ. - Leslie Pate Mackinnon (birth mom) âPsychedelics can lead to transformative experiences, dividing life into before and after the journey.â -- Beth Syverson (adoptive parent) *********** All adoption constellation members (adoptees, birth/first parents, adoptive parents, and other allies) are invited to a Medicine Circle on July 7, 2024, led by Mee Ok Icaro and...
info_outlineWhile I'm away this Thanksgiving week, I wanted to make the recording of our recent Adoptee Remembrance Day vigil available to you all. The live Zoom event was on October 30, 2023. Hear powerful personal stories, emotional poetry, and calls for greater awareness of adoptee suicide, murder, and deportation.
TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE EVENT, click here: https://youtu.be/uun76F2JQpE
TO ACCESS THE WRITTEN PROGRAM FOR THE EVENT, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vAkPZW1duk8UlOFhWIfS0ki5xJldn88CtRVJiq9jYwg/edit?usp=sharing
===============
đ Community Calendar: UnravelingAdoption.com/Calendar
â¨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: UnravelingAdoption.com/Healing
đSign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX
===============
SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES:
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988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call 988 or go to https://988lifeline.org/
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"Adoptees are Dying, But Adoption Agencies Continue to Neglect Our Cries" - Essay by ARD creator Pamela Karanova: https://therealadopteamoxie.substack.com/p/adoptees-are-dying-but-adoption-agencies
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Adoption and Suicide Prevention: Adult Adoptees Speak Out - Video from AFFCNY: https://www.affcny.network/posts/rebroadcast-adoption-and-suicide-prevention-adult-adoptees-speak-out-agape-monthly-educational-trainings-33532586
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Ask Us Anything About Suicidality - Video from Beth Syverson and Frank King, with Joey Nakao: https://youtu.be/5SrnyyT9Jh4
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Chronic Suicidality with Frank King - Unraveling Adoption podcast episode: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/25558560
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Psych Hospitals & Suicidal Ideation - Unraveling Adoption podcast episode with Joey Nakao: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/25558716
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Toward Preventing Adoption-Related Suicide- essay by Mirah Riben: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/toward-preventing-adoptio_b_8127882?fbclid=IwAR37CB0IuVD8rRy-ACkUiHhvH9o-Qo2-RotQ1UfkXLN0LDt8LSCU5OHy6X4
OTHER RESOURCES FROM OUR PRESENTERS:
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Rent Rebecca Autumn Sansom's documentary Reckoning with the Primal Wound: https://reckoningwiththeprimalwound.vhx.tv/buy/reckoning-with-the-primal-wound-2
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Unraveling Adoption is organizing a panel discussion called "Sacred Plant Medicine for Healing the Adoption Constellation: How psychedelic journeys can heal trauma" on December 3. Free tickets and more information here: https://healingadoptiontrauma.eventbrite.com
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Healing the Adoption Constellation Database - find all kinds of practitioners who work with adoptees, birth parents, and/or adoptive parents: UnravelingAdoption.com/Healing
I'm so grateful to be in community with you all as we delve deeply into these difficult topics around adoption trauma, suicidality, murder, deportation, and the deep pain that most adoptees feel.
Please reach out to me or someone you trust if you are feeling dysregulated after hearing or watching this recording. It's important but heavy material to process!
Other resources:
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APtitude Support Group for Adoptive Parents Facing Adoptionâs Challenges: UnravelingAdoption.com/APtitude
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Other Parents Like Me - oplm.com
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Heather Ross - Life Coaching for Parents who have a child struggling with addiction: https://heatherrosscoaching.com/
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Adoptee-Therapist Directory: https://growbeyondwords.com/adoptee-therapist-directory/
===============
Unraveling Adoption is produced and hosted by Beth Syverson
Music written and performed by Joseph Nakao
Email questions or comments to [email protected]
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Support Unraveling Adoption on Patreon: Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption
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Timestamped summary of this episode:
00:00:02 - Introduction
Beth introduces the episode and explains that it will be a recording of the Adoptee Remembrance Day service from October 30, 2023. She encourages listeners to watch the video for a more immersive experience.
00:01:26 - Purpose of Adoptee Remembrance Day
Beth explains that Adoptee Remembrance Day was created to raise awareness of crimes against adoptees, honor the lives of those lost, and bring attention to adoptee suicide and the issue of international adoptees living without citizenship.
00:04:31 - Self-care and Support
Beth emphasizes the importance of self-care during the emotional event and encourages listeners to reach out for support if needed. She also provides the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number.
00:05:01 - Grounding Exercise
Beth guides listeners through a grounding exercise to connect with their hearts, the present participants, and the adoption community.
00:05:25 - Adoptee Remembrance Day 2020
Adoptee Moses Farrow shares a touching video he made 3 years ago, the first Adoptee Remembrance Day.
00:09:35 - "Out of the Adoption Fog"
Emily Alber shares her poem and artwork
00:10:42 - "A Very Important Day"
Christine Warmus Murphy reads a poem about her adopted brother who died by suicide.
00:13:42 - Excerpt from Side by Side: Out of a Korean Orphanage and Into the World
Glenn Morey's film project provides many stories of Korean adoptees. This one is a young woman who attempted suicide.
00:17:13 - "Landon"
Janell Strube reads a poem she wrote about Landon Maloberti, a young boy who was murdered by his adoptive parents.
00:19:23 - "My Other Loss"
Liz DeBetta reads her poem and shares her artwork
00:23:08 - Honoring her daughter Jane
Birth mother Lorraine Dusky reflects about her relinquished daughter's difficult life that ended in suicide.
00:27:37 - "Ungrateful"
Ande Scott reads her poem
00:29:30 - Reckoning with the Primal Wound
Filmmaker Rebecca Autumn Sansom introduces the trailer to her adoption documentary
00:31:58 - "Why I Write Poetry"
Poet Michael Grenfell shares his work
00:33:32 - "What Will Become of My Mother
Birth mother Mimi Janes reads a poem by Beth Brown
00:38:08 - "Dying to Know" from For the Records
Chance IbĂĄĂąez, Joel IbĂĄĂąez, and Beth Syverson perform a song from Rich Uhrlaub's new adoption musical
00:43:55 - "Be Grateful You Weren't Adopted"
Peter Capomolla Moore shares his poem
00:47:26 - Honoring her son Ray
Birth mother Laura Engel shares the story of her reunion with her son who later died by suicide
00:53:35 - Opportunity to donate to Adoptees Connect; with "Worth It"
Attendees are urged to donate to Pamela Karanova's nonprofit organization at AdopteesConnect.org while Joseph Nakao's music video is played
00:56:42 - Excerpt from "Being Adopted"
Collective art project by Nicole Rademacher, with background music by Joseph Nakao
00:59:54 - "Integration"
Liz DeBetta reads a second poem she wrote
01:03:57 - Silence and Lighting Our Path Forward
After a moment of silence, the attendees observed a moment of silence, then lifted our candles up to the camera. Emily Alber's artwork was displayed during this section
01:04:59 - Gratitude and Dismissal
A reminder to be gentle with ourselves and to care for the adoptees in our lives. If anyone is struggling with suicidal thoughts, reach out to the suicidal crisis lifeline (988) or the adoption community. Every individual is valuable, and we need you all here.
Gratitude is expressed for the adoptees and birth parents who participated in the event. Attendees are encouraged to pour themselves into supporting adoptees with compassion and effective advocacy. Mental health support is available through the Adoption Constellation database. (UnravelingAdoption.com/Healing)
In honor of Beth's son's intention, participants are invited to unmute themselves and say "stay safe." Emphasizing the importance of mental health, they encourage everyone to take care of themselves and seek support when needed.