AdoptTogether

Sam Futerman is the cofounder of The Kindred Foundation and star of the documentary “Twinsters” in which she & her twin sister explore their origin as siblings separated at birth. In this episode, Hank & Sam explore her storybook reunion with her sister and the process of living with mixed cultural roots.

Adam Weber learned from his mom at a young age that “some kids come from hospitals, others come from airports.” After experiencing his parents adoption of his sister from South Korea, Adam knew that someday he would do the same. Here, Adam & Hank discuss the wonderfully challenging journey of adoption and give future adoptive parents some valuable advice.

One day, as a 17-year-old snooping through her mother’s drawer, Ranada Shepard discovered she was adopted. Ranada's sense of identity immediately shifted and has continued to evolve after learning about her biological family and Cuban heritage. Now as a mother of three, Ranada has developed a deep understanding of what it truly means to be family.

The future of international adoption, birthmother stereotypes, same-sex parents, and more. Hank fires off 20ish unfiltered questions to the popular mommy blogger Kristen Howerton.

Even one of the most devastating earthquakes in history could not stop Kristen Howerton from bringing home her second adopted son from Haiti in 2010. Now, Kristen is the mom behind the popular blog Rage Against The Minivan. In this interview, Hank traces Kristen’s journey from foster care to international adoption during a natural disaster, and ultimately becoming a professional blogger.

Korean Adoptee Ryan Zies sits down with Hank to explain his gracious perspective on his birthmother’s countercultural decision to pursue adoption. Follow this link to learn more about Ryan's unique story: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ryan-703906-church-sally.html

Adoption is often celebrated as the formation of a new family as a beloved child comes home. However, amidst the celebration, the birthmother's story can often go untold or unappreciated. In this episode, Erica Shaw sheds light on her complex journey as a birthmother and her desire to create a supportive community for birthmothers around the world.

After raising almost $18k on AdoptTogether, Rob and Angie Ashe took the 15 hour flight to pick up their little girl Fiona from China. When asked why they chose to endure the gauntlet of hardships to adopt a child with special needs from China, Rob simply replies "Because my daughter was in China."

From the loss of a dream to the loss of sleep, Angie Sanders has experienced it all. Here, Angie shares the breadth of her insight as an adoptive parent and founder of one of the largest adoptive parents and family support group in Los Angeles.

Joy has always been proud of her status as an adopted child. It never bothered her, yet in regards to her birthmother, there always existed a deep sense of wonder. Listen in as Joy tells Hank about the surprising turn of events that led her to finally connect with her birthmother.

Now a thriving 21 year-old college student, Matthew Fortener’s life began as a dream in his mother’s heart to adopt a child from China. Since then, Matthew has overcome social intolerance as well as a double cleft lip and palate all through the powerful love and support of his eclectic family. Listen as Hank interviews his younger brother about the unique journey of being a Fortener.

Little Jo Fortener shows wisdom beyond his years as he talks with his big brother Hank about the central role adoption plays in their family.

Hank interviews his mom, who has adopted 8 kids and fostered 36. He calls her “St. Anne”.

Jeremy and Shannon Cowart discuss how their adoption process was and continues to be brutally beautiful, or in their words, "brutiful." As proud parents of 4 children, two biological and two adopted from Haiti, the Cowarts describe the daily ups and downs, joy and sorrow that comes from raising such a diverse family. Jeremy Cowart is a prestigious photographer who has worked with a wide array of celebrities as well as the Pope on his recent visit to the US. See his work here http://jeremycowart.com/portfolio/featured/ Check out AdoptTogether.org to donate to families in need and follow AdoptTogether on social media to find out more ways to support our vision of a world with no more orphans.

Physical and emotional hurtles are familiar territory for the Fronings. Here, Rich and Hillary discuss their faithful journey to adopt baby Lakelyn during the weeks leading up to Rich winning his 4th consecutive CrossFit Games.

On November 9th we celebrate World Adoption Day by acknowledging the beauty of adoption, the value of family, and the need to initiate conversations that raise both communal and financial support for adoptive families. Learn more about how you can join the movement and support World Adoption Day by going to http://worldadoptionday.org

Jessica describes both the scrutiny and support received from her community when she chose to adopt two children from Uganda into her seemingly picturesque family.

After overcoming three rounds of in vitro, being told they were not able to conceive and three failed adoption matches, Mike and Robbie Tollin share their tenacious journey to bringing their son home.

Darlynn, mother of two, tells her unique story of intercountry adoption, bringing her children home and light bulb moments as an adoptive parent. Founder of Parenting the Whole Child, Darlynn shares practical tips in navigating the world of adoptive parenting.

Rob opens up to Hank about his incredible journey through foster care, growing up with four moms and the drive to succeed against all odds.