Skip to main content
I'm Adopted

I'm Adopted

By I'm Adopted / imadopted.org

Established in 2015, the I’m Adopted community organisation provides a safe space for adoptees, topics and meet-ups with others. Welcome to our official podcast!
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Felicita's Adoption Journey from Odesa, Ukraine to Southern Italy

I'm AdoptedAug 06, 2023

00:00
31:36
Felicita's Adoption Journey from Odesa, Ukraine to Southern Italy

Felicita's Adoption Journey from Odesa, Ukraine to Southern Italy

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Felicita was born in the city of Odesa, Ukraine to then being adopted at the age of 7 months by her Italian parents. She was raised in the small village town of Ascea. A village that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Italy. Felicita has always had an interest in her roots and ever since she could remember, she has always known about the first 7 months of her life in Ukraine. She shares her story growing up in Italy, learning more about her roots and those connections with her birth family. This is her story.

Aug 06, 202331:36
Marina's Adoption Journey from Crimea to Italy - The Search For Her Birth Family

Marina's Adoption Journey from Crimea to Italy - The Search For Her Birth Family

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Marina was born in Staryi Krym, Crimea to then being adopted out from an orphanage in Simferopol by her Italian parents. With her life in Italy, she has grown up learning more about her roots within Crimea but it wasn't until later on when she started to connect more with her birth family links. She shares her entire journey from the very beginning. This is her story.

Jul 09, 202336:35
Iván's Discovery of His Birth Family Links in Russia and Armenia

Iván's Discovery of His Birth Family Links in Russia and Armenia

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Iván was adopted at the age of 13 months from Moscow, Russia by his Spanish parents. He was raised on the north coast of Spain, in the city of Santander. He had always known that he had birth family links in Russia but later on when he grew older, he then found out more about having links also in Armenia. With his life growing up in Spain and learning more on his family links, Iván adapted to a new way of life in Chicago. There, he got married to his wife Nicki. Iván also supports those within the adoption community, helping connect with more adoptees in the Spanish speaking community including with I'm Adopted. This is his story.

Jun 19, 202333:37
Nina's Journey - Adopted from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Rochester, New York

Nina's Journey - Adopted from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Rochester, New York

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Nina was born from a small village called Bolshaya Vruda which is located just below Saint Petersburg in Russia. She was adopted at the age of three and a half years old by her American parents who then raised her in Rochester, New York. Nina has always been told that she has siblings back in Russia but it wasn't until later on after her childhood that she decided to pursue a search. With the time for her that felt right, she was able to learn more on her birth family, with the difficult circumstance surrounding her birth mother to learning about her twin sister who passed away. For Nina, since learning more on her birth family she has connected more with the adoption community worldwide, building her family tree to build more links and reaching out to others who may be going on a similar experience. She also has played a huge role with the I'm Adopted website as a writer for other adoptees. This is her story.

Apr 21, 202325:58
Adopted from Krasnodar, Russia to New York - Zachary-Victor's Journey

Adopted from Krasnodar, Russia to New York - Zachary-Victor's Journey

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Zachary-Victor was adopted at the age of 8 months from Krasnodar, Russia by his American parents. He was raised in Long Island, New York to moving to Brooklyn to pursue a career in music. Zachary-Victor shares the connections he has made with some of birth family to the support he has from his parents who adopted him. This is his story.

Apr 07, 202334:17
Ukranian-American Adoptee Katya Reach Shares Her Emotional Journey

Ukranian-American Adoptee Katya Reach Shares Her Emotional Journey

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Katya Reach was adopted from an orphanage in Donetsk, Ukraine at the age of four years old by her American parents. She was raised in Kansas to then studying psychology in Oklahoma. She now lives her life in Tyler, Texas for her graduate studies. She has always wanted to learn more about her birth family growing up. And with her parents support, she started to make discoveries with the little pieces information that she was given when she was adopted.


Katya is also part of many online adoption communities, helping raise awareness through her online writings and blog including with our very own, I'm Adopted community.


This is her story.

Mar 22, 202331:33
Alexei's Adoption, The Links with His Birth Family and Life with Spina bifida

Alexei's Adoption, The Links with His Birth Family and Life with Spina bifida

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.

Alexei was born in Velikiye Luki, Russia to then being placed in an orphanage in Pechory. At the age of two and a half, he was then adopted by his New Zealand family. Alexei was born with a birth defect called Spina bifida and with the care of his New Zealand parents, he was able to get the help he needed so that he could walk.  He has been able to find links on his birth family with firstly connecting with his birth sister and then birth mother. 

Alexei shares his story from the beginning, connecting his identity, learning more about his roots and his hopes to meet his birth family for the first time. 

This is his story.

Feb 28, 202323:55
Vanya's Lost Connection with his Birth Mother and Siblings in Russia

Vanya's Lost Connection with his Birth Mother and Siblings in Russia

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.

Vanya Syron was adopted from a regional orphanage in Arkhangelsk, Russia in the late 1990s by his New Zealand parents.

With information that his parents held onto about his birth family, he managed to get a letter through to his Birth Mother in 2010. Since then, Vanya had lost contact but hopes to re-connect with her and his siblings in Arkhangelsk.

This is his story.


Feb 16, 202320:39
Alex's Early Life from a Romanian Orphanage into his Adopted German Family

Alex's Early Life from a Romanian Orphanage into his Adopted German Family

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the support from our friends at MyHeritage.


Romanian adoptee Alex (Alexander) Kuch was adopted from Cluj-Napoca, Romania at the age of two by his German parents. His family then moved to New Zealand in 2006. Alex shares his journey of his reconnections with Romania and his birth family.

He goes through his story, from the beginnings to revisiting Romania later on in his early adult years.  This is his story.

Feb 06, 202325:55
Anya’s Journey Searching Through Those Birth Family Links

Anya’s Journey Searching Through Those Birth Family Links

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Made with the help from our friends at MyHeritage.

Mother of three Anya Gibson, lives right down in the far south of New Zealand. She was adopted at the age of four from a regional orphanage (Number 12) inside of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Prior to her adoption, she was looked after by her grandmother but found out later that she was placed into the orphanage due to her grandmother not being able to look after her. 

She has managed to track down connections but there are still many questions unanswered. She shared with me her journey from the very beginning.  This is her story.

Jan 24, 202326:28
Viktoria's Search and Discovery of Her Birth Mother in Russia

Viktoria's Search and Discovery of Her Birth Mother in Russia

Simulcast from an Adoption story. Viktoria was born in the North of Russia, in a city called Severodvinsk. She was adopted at the age five by her New Zealand parents who also adopted another child from the neighbourhood city and my birth city, Arkhangelsk.

She connected with her birth mother in 2019 after she reached out to me for help. She is still however, continuing her journey with those connections overseas and hopes to meet more of her family around Russia and Ukraine.

This is her story.

Jan 11, 202335:15
Alexei's Journey from Ukraine and Russia to New Zealand

Alexei's Journey from Ukraine and Russia to New Zealand

Alexei was born in Eastern Ukraine to then moving with his biological family to Velikiye Luki, Pskov, Russia.

He was adopted into a New Zealand family at the age of eight. At an early age he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition, Eisenmenger Syndrome. He shares with me his journey, his outlook on life and the connections he has found overseas with his birth family.

This is his story.

Jan 01, 202340:06
Burning Questions for Adoptees

Burning Questions for Adoptees

In this podcast episode, we bring to you the cast from our live Facebook video stream. This week on the I'm Adopted - Talk live cast we talk with Alex Kuch, Katie Zucker, Kristine Freark and Robert Clifford to talk about those burning questions for adoptees. Connecting with more of you around the world, wherever we are. You can watch the video version of this over at Facebook.com/imadoptedOrg

Apr 18, 202001:04:52
Relationships Between Adoptive Siblings - Alex Kuch

Relationships Between Adoptive Siblings - Alex Kuch

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Adoptee Alex Kuch is hosting and he talks about the relationships between adoptive siblings.

Mar 11, 202012:05
Welcome 2020 - 7 Years Since Contacting my Birth Family. Whats Changed?

Welcome 2020 - 7 Years Since Contacting my Birth Family. Whats Changed?

Welcome to our first Podcast of I'm Adopted for 2020. In this episode, Russian - New Zealand Adoptee Alex Gilbert talks about the current relationship with his birth family in Russia after being in contact for 7 years.

Mar 04, 202022:39
A Huge Thank You!

A Huge Thank You!

This is our final episode of I'm Adopted for the 2019 season. We will be right back with our new season in the New Year! Thank you so much!

Dec 03, 201917:26
Romanian Adoptee Alex Kuch shares his views on the global state of International Adoptions

Romanian Adoptee Alex Kuch shares his views on the global state of International Adoptions

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Romanian Adoptee Alex Kuch is still hosting with us and this week he shares with us his views on the global state of International Adoptions.

Nov 26, 201912:46
Romanian Adoptee Alex Kuch Talks about his own personal views on Adoption

Romanian Adoptee Alex Kuch Talks about his own personal views on Adoption

This week on I'm Adopted, Romanian-German-Kiwi Adoptee Alexander Kuch is hosting while Alex Gilbert is away. This week Alex talks about his own views on adoption.
Nov 19, 201916:27
National Adoption Awareness Month - Those Stories From Other Adoptees

National Adoption Awareness Month - Those Stories From Other Adoptees

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, we take a look at some of the incredible stories that were told on our podcast. We revisit Janna Lambs story, Alex Kuch's story, Daria Rottenberk's story and Allyson Duranceau's story.

Nov 13, 201915:08
Adoptee Alexander Kuch Talks Romania

Adoptee Alexander Kuch Talks Romania

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Romanian Adoptee Alexander Kuch joins us to talk about his views on his birth country, Romania.

Nov 05, 201922:24
Celebrating National Adoption Awareness Month

Celebrating National Adoption Awareness Month

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Adoptees Alex Gilbert and Alex Kuch talk about what National Adoption Awareness Month means to them.

Oct 30, 201911:31
Remembering Our First Memories

Remembering Our First Memories

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, we are joined with Romanian-German Adoptee Alex Kuch to talk about our first and earliest memories growing up as an adoptee.

Oct 23, 201915:07
From Moscow to North Carolina, American-Russian Adoptee Allyson Duranceau Shares Her Story

From Moscow to North Carolina, American-Russian Adoptee Allyson Duranceau Shares Her Story

This in this Episode of I'm Adopted, American-Russian Adoptee Allyson Duranceau shares with us her story, about the relationship with her family who raised her in the United States as well as the contact and meet up with her birth family in Moscow, Russia.

Oct 15, 201911:35
Being In The Shoes of your Birth Family or Birth Parents

Being In The Shoes of your Birth Family or Birth Parents

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Alex Gilbert talks about how his birth parents might have been feeling before meeting him in Russia for the first time in 2013.

Oct 08, 201924:06
Tajikistani-New Zealand Adoptee Sarah Berghan Shares her Story and Incredible Journey

Tajikistani-New Zealand Adoptee Sarah Berghan Shares her Story and Incredible Journey

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Tajikistani-New Zealand Adoptee Sarah Berghan joins us to talk about her story. Sarah was adopted at the age of only one month old from the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan. She lived there until the age of two years old while her New Zealand parents did missionary work in an orphanage in the same city. She then came to New Zealand with her parents and four siblings. This is her story.

Follow Sarah on Social Media - Instagram: @sarah.berghan

Oct 01, 201919:05
Every Experience is Different

Every Experience is Different

In this weeks episode of I'm Adopted, Romanian-German-Kiwi Adoptee Alexander Kuch speaks with Alex Gilbert about the personal and emotional challenges that every adoptee may face across their journey. Every experience is Different.

Sep 24, 201922:17
Russian-American Adoptee Alex Schmidt Shares us his Adoption Journey

Russian-American Adoptee Alex Schmidt Shares us his Adoption Journey

Alex Schmidt is an Russian-American Adoptee currently residing in Seattle Washington. In this Episode of I'm Adopted he shares with us his story and journey.

Sep 17, 201924:58
Russian-American Adoptee Daria Rottenberk joins us to share her incredible story

Russian-American Adoptee Daria Rottenberk joins us to share her incredible story

In this Episode of I’m Adopted, Russian-American Adoptee Daria Rottenberk joins us to share her story. She was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia and adopted to America when she was six years old. Her story is touching, special and unique. Thank you Daria for joining us this week!

Sep 10, 201924:46
Adoptee Alex Kuch Talks to Alex Gilbert about some of the most common questions as an Adoptee

Adoptee Alex Kuch Talks to Alex Gilbert about some of the most common questions as an Adoptee

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Romanian-German-Kiwi Adoptee Alex Kuch joins Alex Gilbert to talk about some of the most common questions and challenges asked as an adoptee.

Sep 03, 201924:21
My First Impressions of Russia after meeting my Birth Parents

My First Impressions of Russia after meeting my Birth Parents

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Russian-New Zealand adoptee Alex Gilbert talks about his first impressions of Russia when he met his birth parents for the first time in 2013.

Aug 27, 201927:34
My Childhood as an Adoptee

My Childhood as an Adoptee

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Alex Gilbert talks about his childhood as an adoptee, what he would ask his parents about with his own adoption and the questions that he would often ask.

Aug 20, 201926:48
Alex Gilbert talks to his Russian birth father Mihail (Misha) Kovkov about his Life

Alex Gilbert talks to his Russian birth father Mihail (Misha) Kovkov about his Life

In this Episode of I'm Adopted, Alex Gilbert organised a talk with his birth father Mihail (Misha) about his life and his relationship with Alex. Mihail only knew about Alex in 2013 when he reached out to him via social media. Alex met Mihail for the first time at the end of 2013 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Aug 13, 201925:07
When Should I Search for my Birth Family or Parents?

When Should I Search for my Birth Family or Parents?

In this Episode Russian-New Zealand Adoptee Alex Gilbert talks about the right age to search for your birth family or birth parents. Be honest, be prepared for anything and never give up hope. Do a search only when you feel it's right.

Aug 06, 201928:52
Celebrating Four Years of I'm Adopted - Why It's Important

Celebrating Four Years of I'm Adopted - Why It's Important

In this episode Alex talks about the importance of I'm Adopted and how the project started in 2015. This month we celebrated four years of the I'm Adopted project.

Jul 30, 201927:04
Russian-New Zealand Adoptee Janna Lamb shares with us her story and search

Russian-New Zealand Adoptee Janna Lamb shares with us her story and search

In this episode, Russian-New Zealand Adoptee Janna Lamb sat down with Alex to talk about why she did the search for her birth family in Russia, what she learnt about visiting them in Russia and why she decided to take the journey herself, with the full support of her New Zealand parents.
Jul 23, 201928:26
Romanian-German-New Zealand Adoptee Alexander Kuch shares his story

Romanian-German-New Zealand Adoptee Alexander Kuch shares his story

In this episode Alex Gilbert sat down with Romanian-German-New Zealand adoptee Alexander Kuch to talk about his story, experience and his work with I'm Adopted.
Jul 16, 201926:31
Finding Birth Families or Birth Parents - Taking Small Steps

Finding Birth Families or Birth Parents - Taking Small Steps

In this episode, Alex Gilbert talks about taking those small steps with searching for birth family or birth parents. Making your own decision and with taking your own time.
Jul 09, 201926:29
Connecting with others Adopted

Connecting with others Adopted

In this Episode Alex Gilbert talks about why it's important to connect with other adoptees, why having that contact and friendship is important. Note: A new podcast is out every Wednesday.
Jul 02, 201930:02
An Introduction
Jun 29, 201927:46