ADOPTION MATTERS: Real People, Real Life, Real Talk

Welcome to ADOPTION MATTERS, a podcast with real people sharing real life stories and getting real about adoption from all three perspectives of the adoption triad. I'm Kim Noeth, one of your co-hosts, and a birth mother, along with Sharon Butler Obazee, an adoptee and Sally Ankerfelt, an adoptive parent. Together we explore difficult topics and share frank conversations guided by our commitment to truth-telling and truth-seeking. In each episode we discuss important issues using adoption attuned principles to help us navigate even the most sensitive topics with grace and respect. Together, we model courageous communication, and help create a community where anxiety can be reduced, and mutual understanding can prevail. Whether you are an adoptee, a birth parent or adoptive parent, or a member of the adoption constellation, we are excited to share our stories, insights and support. Thank you for joining, ADOPTION MATTERS: Real People, Real Life, Real Talk

Episode 15 Resilience, Leadership & Service as Pathways to Healing with Special Guest Marcie Keithley 04/16/2025

Episode 15 Resilience, Leadership & Service as Pathways to Healing with Special Guest Marcie Keithley Welcome to ADOPTION MATTERS, a podcast with real people sharing real stories and getting real about adoption from all three perspectives of the adoption triad. Join coaches, Kim Noeth, one of your co-hosts, and a birth mother, along with Sharon Butler-Obazee, an adopted person, and Sally Ankerfelt, an adoptive parent as they explore difficult topics and share frank conversations guided by our commitment to truth-telling and truth-seeking. Today, we honor as the recipient for her work in encouraging dialog and understanding between the members of the adoption constellation. The Shaping the Future Award acknowledges the efforts of individuals and organizations committed to encouraging dialog across the adoption constellation because we know that a fuller view of adoption complexity gives a more complete picture of the adoption experience. When we see more completely, relationships can be strengthened and people can grow in their understanding and care for another person’s experience, especially understanding the adoption person’s experience, which is front-and-center. Ms. Keithley's work surely embodies those goals and aspirations! Marcie J. Keithley, is an author, advocate for genetic rights, speaker, master storyteller and co-founder of the . She retired as Vice President of Retail Bank Management and Merrill Lynch after serving the financial industry for over 32 years. She and her birth daughter, Jessica, were reunited on Father's Day in 2008. Ms. Keithley co-founded the and has testified multiple times throughout the years in support of OBC access for the sister organization, H.E.A.R. (Hoosier For Equal Access to Records), where she served as Vice President. She also hosts the twice-monthly, Friday night virtual event, with a global audience from across the adoption constellation. Her journey took a dramatic turn in the fall of 2023 when an intended DNA test to search for more Keithley family members resulted in a DNA surprise that would alter her world: she had no biological connections to the Keithleys. Similar to an LDA, she discovered at the age of 68 that she was raised by non-biological people. An author, Ms. Keithley has written, and currently is working on her next memoir, Beautifully Broken, Diary of an NPE, A DNA Surprise. Whether you are an adopted person, a birth parent or adoptive parent, or a member of the adoption constellation, we are excited to share our stories, insights and support. Thank you for joining, “ADOPTION MATTERS: Real People, Real Life, Real Talk” /episode/index/show/2229290f-8a2e-4619-b79a-5b2a6f2037b7/id/36152235

Episode 14 "Blind Spots" in Adoptive Parenting 03/19/2025

Episode 14 "Blind Spots" in Adoptive Parenting Welcome to ADOPTION MATTERS, a podcast with real people sharing real stories and getting real about adoption from all three perspectives of the adoption triad. Join coaches, Kim Noeth, one of your co-hosts, and a birth mother, along with Sharon Butler-Obazee, an adopted person, and Sally Ankerfelt, an adoptive parent as they explore difficult topics and share frank conversations guided by our commitment to truth-telling and truth-seeking. Today's episode features April Dinwoodie: Advocate for Adoption, Foster Care, and Multiracial Families. Relinquished into foster care at birth and adopted by the age of two, Ms. Dinwoodie grew up navigating life as a Black/biracial woman in predominantly white spaces. Her personal journey—shaped by questions of identity, belonging, and family—has fueled her lifelong commitment to embracing empathy, inclusion, and understanding. As the host of two podcasts, "Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World!" and "Calendar Conversations: A Guide for Adoptive Parents," April promotes dialogue about identity, family, and cultural differences. A former Chief Executive of the Donaldson Adoption Institute (DAI), she has led national adoption reform initiatives and founded AdoptMent, a mentoring program for adopted and foster youth. Currently, she serves as Executive Director of Transracial Journeys, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead at Steven Madden, LTD, facilitates adoption affinity/support groups in schools, consults on federal child welfare grants, and serves on advisory boards within the adoption community. April has been sharing her experiences nationally and internationally for over 25 years as a keynote speaker and presenter, including engagements with the UPMC Hospital System and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption/Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit. Learn more at Aprildinwoodie.com. Whether you are an adoptee, a birth parent or adoptive parent, or a member of the adoption constellation, we are excited to share our stories, insights and support. Thank you for joining, “ADOPTION MATTERS: Real People, Real Life, Real Talk” /episode/index/show/2229290f-8a2e-4619-b79a-5b2a6f2037b7/id/35340340