Solving the Genetic Puzzle of Health Issues in Adoptees with Jeremy - Ep 141
Release Date: 04/15/2024
Unraveling Adoption
"I thought I'll go to the embassy and I'll clear this up. Yeah, that I was adopted legally and I was US citizen." -- Mike Davis READ THE TRANSCRIPT HERE: EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the privilege of speaking with Mike Davis, an intercountry adoptee whose story sheds light on the often-overlooked complexities of adoption, particularly regarding citizenship issues. Mike was adopted from Ethiopia at the age of eight by an African-American single father and grew up in the U.S. However, in the mid-1990s, he discovered that he was not a U.S. citizen,...
info_outline Educating the Next Generation: Adoption Messages in Children's Books with Allison Olson - Ep 168Unraveling Adoption
"I can read a book and tell you if it's written by an adoptee, written by an adoptive parent or written by somebody who's just a famous author and someone told him to write about adoption and they know nothing about it." -- Allison Olson EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the pleasure of speaking with Allison Olson, an adoptee and adoptive parent who has made significant contributions to children's literature on adoption. We explored her personal adoption story, which began in 1979 when she was adopted as a baby in a closed adoption, and how her experiences shaped...
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"I think my mom does a great job addressing this in the book, but open adoption is not without its challenges." - Belle Sexton Episode Summary: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the honor of speaking with Linda R. Sexton, an adoptive mom and author, and her 25-year-old daughter, Belle. This marks our first mother-daughter duo on the podcast, offering a unique perspective on open adoption. Linda R. Sexton is an author, speaker and blogger. She is an adoptive mom of two children, both in open arrangements, and is the author of the award-winning book, . The story is told with frank...
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"The way that fascism triumphs is if everyone goes silent and becomes quiescent." - Mark H. EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I, Beth Syverson, welcome Mark, a transracial adoptee from Korea and a passionate advocate for adoption-related issues. Together, we delve into the often-overlooked intersection of politics and adoption, particularly in the context of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. As an adoptive mom of a 20-year-old son, Joey, who is navigating his own path, I feel a deep responsibility to address the complexities surrounding adoption and how they...
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"When I was nine years old,...my parents just looked at each other and looked back at me and said, Michael, we just want to tell you that we love you very much and that you're adopted." -- Mike Thorne =============== 📘Get our new book Adoption and Suicidality: 📆 Community Calendar: ✨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: 💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: ============== EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mike Thorne, an adoptee and community leader. Mike shared his journey of discovering his adoption...
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"I tell every adopted person that I meet that their story changes my own story. And it's the truth. It is the absolute truth." - Jessica M. Luciere In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson interviews Jessica M. Luciere, an inter-country, interracial adoptee from Colombia who works at Spence Chapin, a nonprofit adoption agency. Jessica shares her personal adoption story and highlights the importance of adoptee-led initiatives in the adoption community. She discusses the programming she has created at Spence Chapin, including Voices of Adoption for adoptees over 18 and...
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info_outline Homeschooling Complexities for Adopted Children with Rae (Adoptee Reclaimed) - Ep 160Unraveling Adoption
"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 =============== 📘 Order our book Adoption and Suicidality: 📆 Community Calendar: ✨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: 💌Sign 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...
info_outline"I hate when people say that my life should be a movie. Can we just ban that phrase?" - Jeremy
Read the transcript here: https://app.swellai.com/t/tp_01HV5M7AN2D7GP4H2P1NBVSNMQ
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Unraveling Adoption, host Beth Syverson delves into the complexities of adoption alongside her guest, Jeremy, a 24-year-old adopted person from Texas. Jeremy shares his journey of struggling with various health issues and neurodivergence, only to discover the genetic roots of his challenges after reuniting with his birth family in 2022.
Jeremy's adoption story unfolds as he recounts being adopted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from a birth family in Denver. Raised in Texas by adoptive parents who were open about his adoption but painted a negative picture of his birth mother, Jeremy grew up questioning his identity and health issues without a clear genetic history.
As Jeremy navigates his health challenges, including asthma, joint pain, and dysautonomia, he sheds light on the importance of knowing one's genetic background for proper diagnosis and treatment. With a recent diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Jeremy emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to recognize and address invisible disabilities like EDS.
Through his journey of self-discovery and reunion with his birth family, Jeremy finds validation and understanding in shared experiences with relatives who also have EDS. He highlights the significance of acceptance and support from adoptive families, healthcare providers, and the community in addressing the unique needs of adoptees with complex medical histories.
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the impact of closed adoptions, ableism, and stigma surrounding birth parents, as Beth and Jeremy advocate for a more inclusive and informed approach to adoption and healthcare. The episode concludes with a call to action for spreading awareness and support for adoptees facing health challenges and seeking reunion.
To connect with Jeremy and explore more adoption-related content, visit his Instagram account, Borderline Adoptee. Additionally, listeners are invited to engage with Unraveling Adoption through their website and Patreon community to support ongoing discussions and resources for adoptive families and individuals impacted by adoption. Stay tuned for more insightful conversations and stories on Unraveling Adoption.
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📆 Community Calendar: http://unravelingadoption.com/calendar
✨Healing the Adoption Constellation database: http://unravelingadoption.com/Healing
💌Sign up for our Unraveling Adoption email list: http://eepurl.com/hVIAVX
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RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
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Find Jeremy at BorderlineAdoptee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/borderlineadoptee/
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Find out more about Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS) here: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/
Other Resources:
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APtitude Support Group for Adoptive Parents Facing Adoption’s Challenges: http://UnravelingAdoption.com/APtitude
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Other Parents Like Me - http://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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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: http://Patreon.com/UnravelingAdoption
Check out our website: http://UnravelingAdoption.com
Create your own podcast through Libsyn: https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=ADOPTION
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TIMESTAMPS
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00:00:02 - Introduction to Unraveling Adoption: Beth Syverson introduces the podcast and shares her personal connection to adoption.
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00:01:05 - Jeremy's Adoption Story: Jeremy shares his adoption story, including details about his birth family and upbringing.
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00:03:01 - Searching for Birth Mother: Jeremy talks about his search for his birth mother and the impact of not knowing his genetic history.
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00:05:30 - Discovering Neurodivergence: Jeremy discusses his diagnosis of neurodivergence and the challenges he faced growing up.
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00:06:28 - Diagnosis of Asperger's: Jeremy shares his diagnosis of Asperger's and the challenges he faced due to misconceptions about his condition.
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00:08:09 - Uncovering Health Conditions: Jeremy talks about the health issues he faced as a child and the discovery of his genetic conditions later in life.
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00:10:49 - Reunion with Birth Father: Jeremy discusses meeting his birth father and the lack of medical information provided by him.
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00:13:41 - Understanding Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: Jeremy explains Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder, and his journey to diagnosis.
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00:18:46 - Impact of Genetic Knowledge: Jeremy reflects on how knowing his genetic history from the beginning could have positively impacted his self-identity and health management.
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00:21:44 - Advocating for Adoptees' Health: Jeremy discusses the importance of healthcare professionals and adoptive families supporting adoptees in managing their medical diagnoses.
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00:23:35 - Addressing Ableism and Misconceptions: Jeremy highlights the need to combat ableism and misconceptions surrounding invisible disabilities like EDS.
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00:27:00 - Connecting with Jeremy: Jeremy shares his Instagram handle for further engagement and invites others in the adoption community to reach out.