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.
All content for Voices of Adoption is the property of Donna Pope and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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.
How a Single Mom Created a Family Against All Odds
Voices of Adoption
1 month ago
How a Single Mom Created a Family Against All Odds
In this episode of Voices of Adoption, hosts Donna Pope interviews Mike Gaines, who was born with drugs in his system and adopted at 18 months by a 45-year-old single mother facing significant barriers. The state initially resisted the placement due to her age, marital status, and the child's medical challenges, but her faith and determination prevailed.
Foundations of Trust and Care
Mike shares how his adoptive mother carefully withheld sensitive information until he reached emotional maturity at age 18, then revealed his birth circumstances, including drug exposure and parental rights termination at the hospital. Her timing allowed Mike to process his story fully, appreciating her wisdom in protecting him while maintaining honesty about his origins.
Family, Faith, and Community
His mother built a strong support network through church, godparents, and extended family to overcome single-parent limitations. This foundation enabled Mike to excel academically despite early predictions of developmental delays, eventually becoming a podcast host, children's book author, and adoption advocate who encourages families to consider older or medically complex foster children.
Mike’s journey demonstrates how prepared single parents with faith, planning, and community support can transform adoption challenges into thriving family outcomes.
Subscribe to Voices of Adoption for stories of adoption success against the odds.
Follow or Subscribe to Voices of Adoption on your favorite platform:
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 Nathan Gwilliam on LinkedIn: @nathangwilliam
Follow Donna Pope on LinkedIn: @donna-pope-41652ba
Follow Mike Gaines:
Website: thepositivegaines.com | Facebook: thepositivegaines | Instagram: @thenewpositivegaines | Twitter: @GainesPositive | YouTube: @thepositivegaines942
#AdoptionStories #AdoptionJourney #AdopteeVoice #SingleParentAdoption #AgainstAllOdds #FamilyLove #FosterCareAdoption #OlderChildAdoption #VoicesOfAdoption #AdoptionPodcast #AdoptionSuccess
Voices of Adoption
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.
