Episode 12: The Pieces of Life’s Puzzle

A Life That Began With Adoption
From the very beginning of her life, Ellen’s connection to adoption was personal and profound. She was adopted as a baby and grew up in a loving blended family where she was never made to feel “other” — just another kid with the same vacations, Christmas presents, and family experiences as her siblings.

“My mom used to say, ‘You didn’t grow under my heart, but you grew in it.’”

A Brave Decision at Sixteen
As Ellen entered adolescence, she faced a life-altering moment: she became pregnant at sixteen. In a time when adoption was wrapped in secrecy and stigma, Ellen made the courageous choice to place her son for adoption. Her journey through St. Vincent’s, a maternity home in New Orleans, reflects both the challenges of the era and the resilience she carried forward.

“That was the hardest day of my life — even harder than anything else I’ve faced.”

Though she was deeply saddened, she found peace in knowing her child joined a family ready to love him. And thanks to the compassionate care of the era’s adoption process, her son went straight into the arms of his adoptive parents.

Finding Her Son Years Later
Ellen’s story didn’t stop there. Driven by curiosity and a desire for connection, she eventually began searching for her birth son decades later. Through determination, online research, and a little bit of luck, she located him — a man living in Pennsylvania, thriving in college, and open to reconnecting.

A heartfelt reunion followed, filled with meaningful conversation and the building of a new chapter in their relationship.

Love, Loss, and Unexpected Reunion
Even more, Ellen’s life story took another beautiful turn when she reconnected with an old love, David, who would later become her husband. Their blended family grew to include both her son Max and a new connection to her firstborn, making family mean more than she ever dreamed. Through loss, reconnection, and shared healing, Ellen found joy and belonging in ways she never expected.

What Adoption Gave Her
Through her experiences — as a child adopted into love, a young woman navigating heartache, and an adult finding reconnection in unexpected places — Ellen reflects on the deep humanity in every adoption journey.

Her story is a testament to courage, resilience, and the transformative power of connection.