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In this episode, our guest who wishes to remain anonymous shares her story with remarkable detail and honesty. The death of her adopted sister Susie motivated her to become an advocate for adoptees. Her journey began in 1953 when her 19-year-old mother, under pressure from relatives, gave her up for adoption. Anne was adopted at birth through a private arrangement. At 18 months old, her adoptive parents introduced Susie, another adopted child, into their family.

Anne’s upbringing in the Philadelphia suburbs fostered her love for art, leading her to earn multiple degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Pennsylvania. She later moved to New York City, where she pursued painting and worked in advertising. During this period, she faced severe anxiety and panic attacks, unknowingly linked to her adoption.

In the mid-1990s, Anne found her birth parents and discovered a familial connection to art through her paternal grandfather, a portrait painter. Returning to Philadelphia in 1998, she continued painting and teaching art. By 2000, she became active in the adoptee rights movement and joined the Adoption Forum in 2005.

The tragic loss of Susie in 2021, due to the emotional trauma of adoption, has driven Anne to renew her advocacy efforts for adoptees.

https://www.pulledbytheroot.com/