The Triad

I was a divorced single parent of two and on a very downward spiral when I got pregnant from a one-night stand with a guy much younger than me that did not want to help me raise this child. I was what you would consider old in the birth mom world; I was thirty-nine when I was placed in March of 2020. I contemplated abortion but knew I couldn't go through with it. I feel like I had wisdom from age and having two older kids and I knew firsthand how hard it is to raise children, even with a partner. I knew there was no way I could add another child to my life and raise him completely on my own while working full time with no family help. My little guy just turned one and the parents and I have a great relationship with open adoption. This has been the hardest year of my life, but I never regret my decision because I know I can always be in his life. The family is local, and I even pumped milk for the first five months and delivered it to them! The family also has an adopted daughter so that is great for my son. I have visited every few months and they have always been so welcoming to me and my kids. We have had a few bumps in the road as we only met a week before he was born but we are all in it for the long haul. I am so fortunate that my kids and I will still be able to be in Isaac's life and watch him grow up!

Sharon Obazee is accomplished in vast areas.  Her life passion and mission truly began when she was adopted at nine months and was the first of 5 unrelated adopted children.  Her appreciation and respect grew for her parents while immensely witnessing a revolving door of over 300 foster children.  Rather than allow life's occurrences to fracture Mrs. Obazee, she prevailed.  She paved an existence, obtaining self-acceptance, pursuing unfathomable dreams, and embodying confidence and conviction to support others.

Born during the Baby Scoop Era, relinquished at birth, and adopted shortly thereafter, I began the search for my birth-family at the age of 15, but was strongly discouraged by an adoption social worker. Finally, in my 50’s, I found the courage to undertake my search and discovered that despite my best efforts to deny it, the experience of being adopted permeated just about every aspect of my life. Taking this journey has been essential and healing. I highly recommend it. Surround yourself with people who will support you as you learn your origin story and weave it into your history. You deserve your truth.

Alisa Matheson is the Founder & CEO of Attempting Agape.  One woman show, Attempting Agape, has grown over the years. Alisa is proud to share her love of photography, adoptive parenting and foster care advocacy, all based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Alisa has traversed the foster and adoptive world system as a single mom, and as an adoption professional.  Along the way, she became an enthusiastic pro-reunification foster parent, an advocate for youth in the foster care system to have less moves and access to their full story, and an advocate for better trained and prepared parents and workers.  https://attemptingagape.com/ Alisa Matheson\ Blogger, Photographer & MN Youth Services Contractor 763.807.4898 [email protected] https://www.attemptingagape.com/

LaWanda is a white adoptive mom to two transracial adoptees. When she and her husband began their adoption journey seventeen years ago, there was very little education on adoption apart from attachment disorders. Six years later, after adopting their second child, LaWanda had an emotional breakdown as she realized, and literally felt, the complete devastation of adoption. She spent nighttime feedings crying for the postpartum mama that was trying to dry up her milk. She grieved for her son who didn’t recognize her voice as familiar. Since that time LaWanda has tried to educate herself through reading and listening to as many adoptee and birth mom voices as she can. In 2017, the universe gifted her a beautiful friendship with a birth mom. From that friendship, she has grown leaps and bounds in understanding the complexity that is adoption, and has begun to find her voice in the adoption community. She is now an advocate for reunification and supporting birth parents in parenting through organizations like SAFE FAMILIES. She also supports transparency, ethical practices and education in adoption agencies.

I am a birth mom, foster mom, adoptive mom, and always a real mom. I am an advocate registered with Saving Our Sisters, to help birth moms stop unnecessary adoptions and parent babies they truly love and wish to parent. I live a really average blue-collar American life with my kids and husband and our animals.

I am a child of God. I am the wife of an amazing man, Byron Walker, and together, we have three beautiful daughters: Kesha, Bethany, and Olivia. I am an avid dog lover and I adore our brindle Bullmastiff, Baine. I am the youngest daughter of LeRoy and Anna Titus, and the bratty little sister of Shelley Price and Sherre Titus. I am an occasional troublemaker who believes that most of the world's problems can be solved with dinner and good, honest conversation. I am a co-host of the popular podcast, THE TRIAD, the host of a soon-to-be-released television show for TLC and Discovery+, and a former researcher for TLC's beloved show, Long Lost Family. I am a mentor, teacher, encourager, and inspiration to countless people. I am the Chief Executive Officer for GRAITH Foundation, the co-owner of Circle Square Services, and the owner of Manner Of Fact. I am a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Links, Inc. (CA-OC). I attended Fisk University, the State University of New York (SUNY-Empire State), California State Dominguez Hills University, and Trinity Law School. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Master of Science in Behavioral Science, and a Juris Doctorate. I am a philanthropist, and a gym rat, and I never take "No" for an answer. I am not a motivational speaker, rather, I am a light, a magnifying glass, and a mirror to those who want to take their lives or business to the next miraculous level. I am a dream maker and an idea creator. I am relentless in my pursuit of excellence and purpose, and I am here to help others become their best selves. I am Shelbi Walker.

My name is Stefani, and I am a 30-something-year-old adoptee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin! (Millennials represent!) I have been in reunion since 2019 and it hasn’t been an easy road, to say the least. I was born in Arizona in 1987 and had a closed adoption at 8 days old. Growing up in the small town of Janesville, Wisconsin, I always knew I was adopted and was trained from an early age by my adopted parents to be able to talk about it with ease. This is something I always thought was commendable in my earlier years because more often than not you hear of lies and deceit surrounding adoption. I grew up as Laura, Stefani is my birth name that I have recently taken back. In April of 2019, everything changed; lies and abuse from my adopted family began to unravel when my adoptive mom told me (a month before my wedding) that she had always known I had a full blood sister who was not given up, and they decided to keep that information from me. Once my view on my own adoption and family changed, my whole life changed.   Today I am working towards healing, finding myself, and telling my story. I am passionate about adoption, and the number one thing I want to drive home is that ALL ADOPTION IS TRAUMA!!!! We can survive it and heal if adoptive parents are educated and open to doing what is best for their Adoptee.  Please reach out and ask me any questions about Adoption, my story, or anything else! Thanks for being here and supporting my journey and the adult Adoptee community! 

Too Black to be White, and too White to be Black. Billy Williams was raised in Los Angeles, California in a loving home. His Teamster father and stay-at-home mother did their best to give Billy the charmed life that every child dreams about. Karate classes taught by Chuck Norris, designer clothes, and access to the upper echelon of Black society, Billy seemed to have it all. But, sometimes, what you see, is a cover for more sinister secrets that lay just below the surface. Follow Billy as he explores his childhood, and teen years and his triumphant quest to discover who he is and where he comes from. His journey is filled with lies, secrets, drugs, sex, abandonment, and ultimately, redemption.

In 2011 During the Juneteenth Parade, Nikki Brown became the first Black clown in Portland. Since then, she has been active in the clown community and has earned numerous accolades. As a foster parent, she believes in building up her children’s self-esteem! As a foster parent, she works to educate foster and adoptive parents on how and why the children’s needs have to come first.