Stories

Personal experiences shared by adoptees from around the world through the I’m Adopted community.

Welcome to our new Stories page. Over time, we’ll continue adding stories from our previous archive alongside new stories shared through our community.

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Soon, you’ll be able to receive an email on updates for when a new story is shared through our website.

32 Stories Shared

Adopted from Russia

Now living in Australia

Yulia's Story

My early experiences, being orphaned, adopted across countries, building a new identity, and navigating loss, have all shaped the person I have become.

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Adopted from United Kingdom

Now living in Spain

Virginia Downes's Story

Ours was a happy story, and not for one moment did I ever feel that they were not my parents.

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Adopted from and living in United Kingdom

Don Parker's Story

From as far back as I can remember, I carried questions that nobody could answer. Who am I really? Where do I come from? Why wasn't I enough to keep?

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Adopted from United States

Now living in California

Tabita Christensen (Cami Denne)'s Story

Many adoptees endure complex trauma (secondary trauma). Being trauma informed is vital.

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Adopted from Vladivostok, Russia

Now living in United States

Eliana Laurance's Story

I’m also an identical twin—my sister’s name is Tatiana. We were born in Vladivostok, Russia, and adopted into the United States in 1996.

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Adopted from New York, United States

Al Isaacs's Story

In a matter of seconds, everything I thought I knew about my identity was thrown into question.

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Adopted from Upstate New York, United States

Now living in Binghamton, New York, United States

Michelle Stupski's Story

For many years, I believed adoption was simply part of my story, not something that deeply affected me.

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Adopted from Los Angeles, CA, USA

Now living in Minneapolis, MN

Barbara Medina's Story

I was successful, and my smile told everyone I was doing great.

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Adopted from Sacramento, California, USA

Now living in Amarillo, Texas

Emily (Joey) Grimes's Story

I was adopted at the age of 10 months (but the adoption wasn’t finalized until I was 2 1/2).

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Adopted from Russia

Now living in Missouri, USA

Ekaterina's Story

I was adopted from Russia just two days before my sixteenth birthday. I still speak Russian and try my best to hold on to that part of myself.

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Adopted from Ontario, Canada

Now living in British Columbia

Skye's Story

I have been blessed to have been able to develop a relationship with both of my biological parents and some of the extended family members.

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Adopted from New Westminster, Canada

Now living in Toronto, Canada

Lauren Robilliard's Story

I was adopted in 1998 exactly a month after I was born. I grew up in a loving home on Vancouver Island with a younger brother who was also adopted.

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Adopted from and living in Northland, New Zealand

Toni's Story

My adoptive mum dreamt of having a baby and building a half-round barn next to the beach (and that’s what she did).

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Adopted from Portugal

Now living in England

Beatriz's Story

I was born in Portugal in 1994 into a life that was unstable from the very beginning. y mother was 32 when she had me, but she was rarely present throughout my childhood.

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Adopted from Pskov, Russia

Now living in Michigan, USA

Elena Wojcik's Story

My story is short with words, but weighs heavy daily. 35 years of unanswered questions. I've came to my own conclusion, made up my own scenarios.

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Adopted from Albania

Now living in Minnesota, USA

Denis's Story

I was born in Albania and spent the first 5 years of my life in an orphanage. In 1999, I was adopted and moved to Minnesota, where I’ve lived ever since.

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Adopted from and living in The United States

Lydia Admire's Story

“I’m adopted” is definitely the phrase I’ve been flaunting all my life.

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Adopted from UK

Now living in England

Barbara Attwood's Story

I was adopted in 1948 during the baby boom after the Second World War, when adopters could walk around orphanages and pick whichever child they wanted.

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Adopted from and living in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Cara's Story

At the time of my birth, Leslie named me. After I was adopted, I was given a new name.

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Adopted from Louisiana, USA

Now living in Canada

Georgia's Story

Since the age of 12 or 13, I have struggled immensely with being adopted. I always struggled, and still do, with being unable to know my birth family and have active relationships with them.

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Adopted from and living in Maine, USA

Pamela's Story

At 7 months, my birth mother decided to place me for adoption as she knew I needed the stability she could not provide. I always knew I was adopted and was raised in a very loving, secure family.

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Adopted from Middle River, Maryland, USA

Now living in Edgewood, Maryland

Victoria Francois's Story

My biological mother gave birth to me at a very young age. She decided it was best that we went with a family who could give us everything we needed.

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Adopted from Irkutsk, Russia

Now living in Louisiana, USA

Jessica Tackett's Story

I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember, and my parents always nurtured that passion.

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Adopted from Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Now living in Baltimore, County

Hope Holman's Story

I knew I was adopted since the age of 12. I was being nosey in my adopted parents’ file cabinet and found 2 birth certificates with my name on it.

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Adopted from Atlanta Georgia, USA

Now living in Camargo, IL

Angela Earl's Story

My name is Angela. Growing up, I always knew I was adopted. When I got older, I decided to try to find my birth mother through the adoption registry.

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Adopted from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Now living in Manitoba

Benson Friesen's Story

I was adopted at age 7 by a Mennonite pacifist family in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

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Adopted from Liverpool, UK

Now living in Kent

Siân Thomas's Story

I was born in Liverpool in February 1970. My birth mother was forced to give me up for adoption at one week old.

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Adopted from Minneapolis, MN, USA

Now living in Flagstaff, AZ

Sarah's Story

I was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1962 to an 18-year-old girl. She met a man who was 32, married with a wife and a 5-month-old baby at home.

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Adopted from Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Now living in Cozumel Me

Margaret Chute's Story

I found my birth family when I was 49. What a richness. I had 7 natural siblings. After my adoption, my mother married someone we all thought was my birth father.

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Adopted from Denison, Texas, USA

Now living in Lutz, Florida

Brooke Boswell's Story

I was adopted at two days old. My parents (mostly my mother) always made sure to celebrate both my birthday and my adoption day.

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Adopted from and living in Ontario, Canada

Karen's Story

I was born in February 1971 and adopted at two months old. My adoptive parents had a two-year-old adopted son when I came along.

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Adopted from Newport News, VA

Now living in Flint, MI

Jane's Story

My mother was 15, my father was 19 and only in town preparing to deploy to Vietnam.

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These stories are shared personally by members of the I’m Adopted community and published with their permission. Stories are submitted directly by the author through our “Share Your Story” page.

This Stories page features a selected collection of stories from our community archive and recently published stories. Additional stories and community posts are also shared through our official social media pages.

Please do not reproduce, republish, repost, alter, or reuse stories or images without permission. This includes the use of AI or other tools to rewrite, modify, generate, or repurpose stories originally shared by our community. (This also includes stories shared from our official Facebook and Instagram pages.) If you would like to share a story with others, please use the official share links provided on each story page or share directly from our official Facebook and Instagram pages.

Please also see our Guidelines page for more information.

If you see stories shared on social media from I’m Adopted, please ensure they are connected to our official I’m Adopted Facebook and Instagram pages. These are our only official social media pages for our community.

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