Adoptee Chooses Purpose Over Bitterness After Birth Family Reunion

In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Roderick Edwards, a prolific author of 50+ books who transforms his adoption story into advocacy. Left nameless at the hospital as a premature infant, Roderick's adoption at age four led to a brief three-year family experience before his adoptive parents divorced, shaping what he calls an "outsider perspective" that fueled his writing career.

Finding Family After Amnesia Roderick introduces the concept of "adoptee amnesia," where adoptees create identity narratives until reunion provides facts. When Indiana opened adoption records in 2016, he located his biological family within days using Facebook and data analysis skills. His family believed he had died at the hospital, making his reunion a powerful "back from the dead" moment that connected him with multiple siblings.

Purpose Over Bitterness Through writing his memoir "Together More: Rejection and Reunion" and documenting his journey, Roderick challenges narratives that adoption creates permanent wounds. He advocates for early honesty with adopted children, emotional preparation before search, and choosing purpose over pain. His philosophy emphasizes that adoptees control their perspective regardless of circumstances.

Roderick's journey demonstrates how adoptees can build meaningful lives by embracing their unique stories and choosing growth over grief.

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