"Karen faced her 'own' birth secrets that she strived to 'untangle'. This gave Karen a unique experience as an adoptee confronted with finding her original birth certificate (OBC). Karen was passionate about the 'Real Talk' of adoption laws from state to state. She shared her story with passion, peace, and purpose. Karen had a straightforward attitude about societal pressures placed on birth/first moms in the United States. The essence of her story is that childhood experiences profoundly impact one's entire life."

Super Bowl LX airs on February 8, 2026 and is scheduled to air an Ad on Adoption . We had the chance to preview this ad. Cindy, another Birth/First Mom and I had a very transparent and candid conversation about this ad. Our conversation pointed out the glaring exclusion of the expectant woman’s voice , she was Not a Girl in the Middle , she was a Woman facing a decision.

The voice -over shared what she would miss by being pregnant, not what she could experience by raising her child . For many years, 45 years for me , I was faced with this same rhetoric in 1973 , choose life and allow a married couple to raise your child because that would be ‘ Better”. The only sure thing is that it would be ‘ Different”.

Let me be very Clear, my son had a good life . At the same time , we know that separation from birth/first mother is trauma. The adopted child has ‘ preverbal’ trauma, because they couldn’t talk , they had no voice or choice. I always imagined the scenario of a child being placed , not ‘given away’ that if a child had a voice , they would say , NO, I want my mother. God is so magnificent in the miracle of creation . We as mothers actually ‘ grow a little human’ , that 9 months creates a ‘birth bond ‘ that will never be broken , separated or not.

Listen to this conversation and please share this episode and comment to me and others. Let’s Conversate and have a “ Real Talk’ about Adoption .

Sydney says she was a relative “ normal” kid whose family expected her to

behave at a certain standard because of her “ family influence” in her town .

Early in Sydney’s life, trauma and grief entered her life with the tragic loss

of her mother. . She then became the “ mother figure” to her younger

siblings.

Sydney became a mother without family support as other first/birth mothers

experienced. The “family decision “ of adoption was the next step.

Conversations or discussions about this ‘life-changing” decision were not

an option for Sydney .

Sydney’s journey in placement of her son was challenging . Sydney spoke

of being an “ A “ student in school and upon becoming a birthmother, her

life then was considered “ blemished.” We spoke about the stereotype

placed on birthmothers living a “broken life.” We spoke of this simply “ not

bring true “.

Sydney is a shining “voice” in the adoption constellation with her

professional work in public policy and advocacy on the current adoption

landscape.