Adoption Knowledge Affiliates Educational & Peer Support

October 8 at 7:00 pm Central time (8pm Eastern, 5 Pacific)

Please join us for a conversation with Dr. Lisa Astalos Chism, nurse, adoptee, and author of " The Adopted Nurse: A Memoir of Courage, Compassion, and Hope."

Hear her personal story of love, loss, and self-discovery. From growing up with loving adoptive parents to reuniting with her birth father through DNA technology, Dr. Chism shares the emotional highs and devastating lows of her search for identity.

TO REGISTER: Scan the QR code on the attached graphic , visit our website (adoptionknowledge.org ) or cut and paste this link:

https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjM2MTMx

(Even if you RSVP here, you must register through our website/flipcause)

You don't have to have read the book to attend, but if you'd like to order a copy, here's a link: https://a.co/d/54wI9Xk

If you have either found family using commercial DNA testing or been found by family who used commercial DNA testing (examples of commercial DNA testing are Ancestry.com, Family Tree DNA, 23&Me, My Heritage...) then this is the group for you. You do not need to have an adoption connection, but you do need to have a DNA discovery for this group to be relevant to you. Examples include individuals with a known connection to adoption such as birth/first parents, adoptees, donor conceived individuals; unexpected parentage results among those not adopted such as unknown child discovery, unexpected niece, nephew or cousin discovery, individuals discovering they are donor conceived or adopted (late discovery adoptees); anyone who has who found unknown siblings. international adoptees connecting to family including cousins, grandparent discoveries, and the many other scenarios that are surprising folks today.

"Why is this group needed?"
Finding family, or being found - whether you are looking or not - is a major life event. It can upend long held beliefs about ourselves and challenge the very things that make us feel like, well..., us. Things like parentage, ethnicity, religion, birth order, just to name a few. There are also a myriad of reactions from those who have either unexpectedly found us or that we have found them. Sometimes those reactions are not what we had hoped for, or what we expected. It can all be very overwhelming. This group will focus on supporting each other during and after such DNA discoveries.

"What is the scope of this group?"
This peer support group is not meant to replace conventional therapy, but rather serve as an additional support on your personal journey to integrate your DNA findings into your life. Through listening and sharing with your peers, the hope is you will get the support you need to face the challenges that your DNA discoveries have presented. Though this group is not specifically designed to teach genetic genealogy techniques (family tree research using DNA), you will learn what has worked for others in expanding their trees and making progress in their searches.

To register for this event please visit the Peer Support page on our website: https://www.adoptionknowledge.org/peer-support-groups.html

Birth / First parents, come connect and feel supported by peers! This group provides peer support to birth/first parents. Come Zoom with a group of supportive peers! You can use the link, the app, or dial in using your phone. This is a vibrant group of long time and newer AKA members! Join us!

To register for this event please visit the Peer Support page on our website: https://www.adoptionknowledge.org/peer-support-groups.html