Adopt Perspective Jigsaw Queensland

Today’s guest, Gemma Chudzinski is an Australian Intercountry adoptee and PhD candidate from the School of Health Sciences and Social Work at Griffith University, who is undertaking important research in the area of the mental health of intercountry adoptees and is calling for participants. To find out more about the research, email gemma.chudzinski@griffithuni.edu.au



This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

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Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Brendan Watkins was eight years old when his parents told him he was adopted. When he was in his late twenties, he started searching for his biological parents and eventually discovered the identity of his mother: he was later told that following his birth, she’d become a Catholic nun, and she wanted nothing to do with him. For the next thirty years, Brendan had no clues as to the identity of his father. In 2018, a DNA test provided the answer: he was the son of a priest. His father had studied in a Trappist monastery in Ireland, had returned to Australia and become a celebrated outback missionary. Brendan wrote a memoir about his experience called Tell No One that not only explores his own experience, but also the wider issue of cover ups by the Catholic Church. He’s joined us to share his story, and also some of his writing process. For more information about Brendan and Tell No One, go to www.brendanwatkins.com.au

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Jo Fraser is a mother who lost her son to adoption in 1971 and connected with him again almost two decades later. She is also the Convenor of the Victorian branch of the Association Representing Mothers Separated by adoption (better known as ARMS) - a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1982 out of a common need to support women who are living with difficulties of having lost a child or children to adoption. She is also, through ARMS, part of the national alliance called the Mothers Adoption Loss Alliance or MALA. 

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Dr Giselle Newton, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Queensland. She’s a digital health sociologist whose research is focussed on understanding how reproductive and genetic technologies (re)shape personal and familial relationships and considers how people with lived experience participate and position themselves in research, policy reform and development of support and services. As a donor-conceived person herself, Giselle’s research is grounded in advocacy regarding access to information and family and health for all donor-conceived people worldwide. 

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

 

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

Today’s guest was born in England in 1970 and was adopted at six weeks of age into a family who had already adopted a son. Lisa Preston’s family moved to Australia when she was two years old, and then grew to include a biological daughter. Lisa’s story of reunion spans decades, two continents, and is testament to courage, tenacity, and understanding that a no doesn’t always stay a no. 

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes



Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing. 

James Vasilic was born and adopted in Brisbane in 1985 and has an incredible story about his experience of being adopted and reunion to share with us.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

 

Connect with us

Instagram - adopt_perspective_podcast

Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

 

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.