Kristine shares her story and what she's learned about overcoming challenges, reunion and much more in a profound and inspiring episode. She draws on her own experience as an adoptee and vice president of Bellis a nonprofit that provides adoption education, awareness and support.
Connect with Kristine at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinemoser/
here's a bit about Bellis from their website:
Our mission is to serve as an empowering voice for adoption that connects, inspires, and transforms.
Our reach extends to all people with any adoption experience who seek peer-based support for ambiguous grief related to adoption. Often, participants work together to advocate for greater awareness and understanding of adoption in schools and communities.
Our work is neutral – it is not affiliated with any political or religious agencies. Bellis does not receive funding from any entity involved in the child-placement process or the process leading to or including the termination of parental rights.
While benefiting from the expertise of many throughout the adoption, foster care and social service sector, Bellis works independently as a provider of peer-based support and advocacy.
While fully appreciating and acknowledging the trauma associated with the termination of parental rights, and many injustices within that process, our focus lies entirely on the phase of life following the termination, specifically on the long-ignored grief and loss needs of the mother.
Bellis strives to refrain from judgment, understanding that each adoption is unique. As such, terms used to universally describe the impact of adoption, including “primal wound,” are not part of our organizational culture or language.
We believe the stigma, stereotypes, shame, and myths attached to adoption over decades exasperate challenges related to the lived experience of adoption.