Episode 30 - “Make a Difference, Travel, Heal”: Denna’s Story of Adoption & Awakening

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Hey guys, 

Today I’m speaking with Denna. 

Denna is an intercountry adopted person, born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1979. She grew up in Mclaren Vale, South Australia, and an organisation, formerly known as ASIAC organised her adoption from Yayasan Ibu Sayap. At 4 months of age, Denna took her first international plane trip, and since then has travelled extensively around the globe in both career and personal life. 

Denna views her adoption experience as being a positive one, she has dabbled in searching for her birth mother and learning more about her origins over the years. But In hindsight, Denna wishes she started this search earlier. She realised she had been avoiding her feelings. Her curiosity and desire grew when she had 3 children but the experience of mothering also brought unpleasant feelings that was laying dormant. from never feeling enough to rejection and abandonment issues.  feelings that are similar to other inter country adoptees she has encountered. Over the years she has faced struggles with her marriage and her relationships.

She is yet to find more about her biological family but remains positive, and looks upon her journey as a lifelong quest. 

Denna is a former travel consultant, business development manager, and online business mentor, Denna has "adopted" her life mantras into her business endeavours which are “Make a Difference. Collaborate, Travel. Inspire and Grow." 

Her latest emerging passion project: a podcast called My Adoptive Heart is for the inter country adoptee community. She wants to help build a supportive community for others so hearts can heal and to help guide her through her own self discovery. 

If you would like to connect with Denna her You can contact at: www.denna.com.au/my-links

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The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett!