Jo is a late discovery adoptee who discovered at the age of 46 that everything that she had known to be true about her identity and family was no longer, it was like a sudden and tragic death. The information that blew her world apart was a diary kept by her recently deceased maternal grandmother “Nanny” that spanned the years 1960-1965. Jo immediately filed for her paperwork with DoCS to obtain her original birth certificate and find her birth mother. The story that unfolded was nothing like the hopes she had of hearing about a forbidden teenage love affair. Today Jo touches on her journey an ..read more

When Brendan was eight years old, his parents told him he was adopted. In his late twenties, he found out the identity of his birth mother – but she wanted nothing to do with him.  For thirty years there was only limited communication with his birth mother, and he knew nothing about his birth father. It wasn’t until 2018, a DNA test led him to the truth:  'After decades of searching, Brendan discovered that his birth parents were a Catholic priest and a nun. His ‘Memoir which was released in August 2023  titled “Tell No One' explores the questions, anxieties and reflections aris ..read more

Jo is an adopted person, born in Adelaide in 1969. She lives with her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Creativity has been a constant in her life and she worked in advertising, marketing and design for many years, but is now quietly forging a new path as a yoga teacher after feeling its transformative effects in her own life. I first met Jo at a yoga training retreat in Bali earlier this year.  Jo was forcibly removed from her mother immediately after her birth at Queen Victoria Hospital in SA whose adoption agency enforced a policy based on the ‘clean break theory’ where no contact o ..read more

Today I am interviewing a gentleman by the name of Rowan Dent in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.  Rowan is a father of one who has been impacted by adoption and has seen first hand, the joy and love adoption has played in his life.  Rowan attributes his successes in business and sport to the fundamental values that were given to him by his adopted mother and uncle.  This is a story of love, sacrifice, and loyalty that has impacted the current generation and will likely impact generations to come.  Here is Rowan's story.  Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find ..read more

Hi everyone,  Today I will be speaking with Toni Moon. Toni Moon is a bird nerd, word nerd and adopted person breaking out of the fog. She is a journalist who writes about her own adoption journey amongst other things. Her personal writing reflects a desire for self determination as she uncovers her own past and builds the road ahead for her and her family’s future.   Here is her story.  Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram or find me on Facebook or Twitter. The Australian Adoption Podcast with host Nadia Levett ..read more

Hi everyone, today I am talking with Layne Beachley. Layne is regarded as one of the world’s most successful athletes. She spent 19 years on the surfing pro tour. Won 7 world titles and is the only surfer in history, to win 6 consecutive world titles. 5 however were won in a state of fear. The other 2 that bookends her career were in a state of love.  How did she get there? Well first of all, Layne’s mother died when she was 6 years old, this would have been devastating, to say the least, then her dad informed her about her adoption when she was 8. This news may have come too late and Lay ..read more

Hey everyone, today I sit down and talk with another podcaster Jonah. Jonah was Born in Cairns and immediately placed in foster care, Jonah grew up with his adoptive family in Brisbane and Growing up in a Caucasian Australian family, Jonah felt disconnected from his Papua New Guinea heritage and culture.  In 2020, at the age of 22, Jonah embarked on a journey to reunite with his birth family, to reconnect with his heritage and unearth his self-identity. He launched an award-winning podcast, Led By A Heartstring, to invite the world to follow his journey and delve into the world of adoptio ..read more

Tammy Richie is an extraordinary woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Her journey began with a challenging start, as she was abandoned as a baby, losing everything she knew, including an identical twin. This early experience of grief built up her strength and resilience, which she has carried with her throughout her life. Tammy learned to be resourceful and curious from a young age, and these qualities has served her well as she has become the influential leader she is today. As an international motivational speaker and senior team leader for Tony Robbins she has become an ex ..read more

In this episode I speak with Karin. Karin is a mother to two boys adopted from the Philippines and President of the Adoptive, Kinship and Fostering Families Association of the ACT known as AKKFFA. Karin believes it is important to find your community of people when it comes to adoption, fostering and kinship care.  Karin was previously a Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and uses her experience to work towards a better system for all families involved.  She is passionately learning the impacts of early life trauma and the effects on neurobiology and she shares that information ..read more

Hey everyone, I am excited to be sharing with you all today an interview I did recently with another fellow adoptee. This is my first international interview from our neighbouring country New Zealand. I will be speaking with Jan, Jan is a 69 Yr old wife, mother and step mother. So she has 6 children and 11 grandchildren and lives in a quiet seaside village. Her adoption experience with her adoptive family has been very positive however she has always been curious about her birth family. She had always thought that she was part of a big family and it wasn’t until she searched for her birth fami ..read more