C Y N T H I A

Cynthia was adopted as an infant and was raised with little discussion or acknowledgement about where she hailed from. The silence surrounding her adoption prompted her to become frustrated with her adopted family and much of the world around her. 

Alcohol abuse, drug use and an identity crisis were the ways in which her uncertainties manifested during her teen years and early twenties. Yet, as she reached adulthood, moved across the country and started a family of her own, Cynthia came to the realization that the meaning of family transcends blood and love exists in a myriad of ways.

Cynthia remains close with a few members of her adopted family who she told us she appreicates very much. She has been sober from drugs and alcohol for over 30 years.

To gain a deeper knowledge of adopting and how it affects all involved parties, Cynthia recommends reading, "The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child" by Nancy Newton Verrier, "Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children" by Daniel A. Hughes and "Adoption Healing: A Path to Recovery" by Joe Soll. 

Listen to her full interview below.

Cynthia as a child around the time she was adopted.

Cynthia with her adopted parents and her brother who was also adopted into the family.

Cynthia's birth parents, Nifty and Esther.

Cynthia's birth father, Nifty, and her two sons Kevin and Brian.

Cynthia holds a photo of her parents in her California home.