Voices of Adoption
Voices of Adoption
Podcast Description
Voices of Adoption amplifies authentic stories from across the adoption triad - birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive families - along with adoption service providers. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions and Clinical Mental Health Counselor and her co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder & former CEO of Adoption.com, create a safe space for honest conversations about the complexities of adoption. Birth parents share their journeys of love, loss, and healing. Adoptees discuss identity, belonging, and their lived experiences. Adoptive families open up about challenges and beautiful moments. Adoption service providers offer insights from their professional experience supporting families throughout the process. Each episode bridges different perspectives within the adoption community, helping listeners understand that every adoption story is unique yet connected by common threads of resilience and hope. These conversations don't shy away from difficult emotions or complex questions. Instead, they honor the full spectrum of adoption experiences with empathy and respect. Join us for stories that educate, inspire understanding, and remind us that every voice in the adoption community matters.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast emphasizes themes related to adoption including birth parent narratives, adoptee identity, and the experiences of adoptive families, with episodes such as discussions on the emotional ramifications of adoption reunions, the impact of culture on identity for transracial adoptees, and the importance of understanding the statistics behind adoption practices.
Voices of Adoption amplifies authentic stories from across the adoption triad – birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive families – along with adoption service providers. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions and Clinical Mental Health Counselor and her co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder & former CEO of Adoption.com, create a safe space for honest conversations about the complexities of adoption. Birth parents share their journeys of love, loss, and healing. Adoptees discuss identity, belonging, and their lived experiences. Adoptive families open up about challenges and beautiful moments. Adoption service providers offer insights from their professional experience supporting families throughout the process. Each episode bridges different perspectives within the adoption community, helping listeners understand that every adoption story is unique yet connected by common threads of resilience and hope. These conversations don’t shy away from difficult emotions or complex questions. Instead, they honor the full spectrum of adoption experiences with empathy and respect. Join us for stories that educate, inspire understanding, and remind us that every voice in the adoption community matters.
Ben and LaCol Kjar share their adoption journey to three kids, the movie Standout, and the name written down twice. Ten years of trying. Four rounds of IVF. Two adoption matches that fell apart. Then one phone call, one flight, and three kids in 13 months.
In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope interviews Ben and LaCol, the family behind the movie Standout and two baby reveal videos viewed more than 100 million times. Donna stood beside the Kjars at every step of their adoptions, and in this conversation, the three of them share the parts of the story the movie and the videos leave out.
The Name Written Down Twice
Ben woke at 3 AM with a single name pressing on his mind. Hours later, in a hospital meeting Donna arranged, the woman who carried that baby boy said she had already written down a name she loved, a name that means protective warrior. It was the same name. Liam came home, and the Kjars gained a relationship they describe as sacred.
A Second Baby 20 Minutes Away
While the Kjars signed for Liam, Donna took a call about another baby due days later in a neighboring town. LaCol needed clarity, and by the time she got it, she and Ben were ready to say yes. Rowan joined the family five days after her brother. A year later, a single text kept Liam’s biological brother Kempton with the family, turning ten years of waiting into a house full of three kids just 13 months apart.
This conversation shows the adoption triad at its best, with birth parents honored, children cherished, and a family built through patience and a victor mentality.
Hear every part of the story the movie could not fit on Voices of Adoption. Download Your FREE Guide to Adoption at VoicesofAdoption.org. Like, share, and subscribe to spread the word.
#VoicesOfAdoption #KjarFamily #AdoptionStory #OpenAdoption #Standout #AdoptionCommunity
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Website: VoicesofAdoption.org | YouTube: @VoicesofAdoptionShow | Twitter (X): @Voices_Adoption | Instagram: @Voicesof_Adoption | Facebook: Voices of Adoption | TikTok: @Voices_of_Adoption | LinkedIn: Voices of Adoption
Follow Donna Pope (Host, Executive Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions)
LinkedIn: @donna-pope | Website: HearttoHeartAdopt.com
Follow Nathan Gwilliam (Co-Host, Founder of Adoption.com)
LinkedIn: @NathanGwilliam | Website: PodUp.com | Podcasts – Why We Believe: WhyWeBelieve.com | Podcasting Secrets: PodcastingSecrets.com
Follow Ben Kjar
Website: benkjar.com | Instagram: @benkjar | Facebook: Ben Kjar | YouTube: @benkjar2609 | LinkedIn: Ben Kjar
Follow LaCol Kjar
Instagram: @lacolkjar | Facebook: LaCol Kjar
Follow Standout Film
Website: standoutfilm.com | Facebook: Standout Film | Instagram: @standout.film
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