"All I know is that I was left there and God brought me to where I was supposed to be." - Shannon Thompson, Black, Same Race Adoptee + Foster Care to Adoption
Brooklyn, New York. Early '90s. Against the backdrop of fly fashion, music history-in-the-making and a war on Black families - errr, a "war on drugs" - , a newborn girl was abandoned in a hospital. Her emergency foster home in the care of a 52-year-old woman became the only home she's ever known. Shannon Thompson is a survivor and overcomer from birth.
While being adopted or raised in kinship care may be considered outside the "norm" by some, Shannon grew up in a community where it was more common for children to live with their grandparents. Shannon called Ms. Sue, her mother/adoptive mom, "Grandma" just like Ms. Sue's grandchildren did. Being raised by an older parent came with some challenges, and also came with love and an ally on Shannon's search for birth family.
Years of searching, including 23andMe and Ancestry.com DNA tests, came with dead ends, stalled communications, loss, grief, hope and God's faithfulness.
Shannon is clear that the abandonment that happened to her is NOT her. This future licensed clinical psychologist is owning her voice and her story, and intentions to use her experiences and studies to help children and families who share a similar origin story. YESSSS!
Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. You can hear Shannon's heart in her voice. Take a listen, feel all the feels, share, subscribe and leave a review!
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RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES
- READ: Administration for Community Living's (ACL) Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act Initial Report to Congress
- LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on The Black Adoption Podcast
- Black Adoptee Support Group on Instagram @blackadopteesupportgroup
- REQUIRED READING: Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads...for the culture!
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