Jillian shares her artwork expressing the shared grief and loss of the many years of separation between her South Korean mother and herself before reunion.
Category: Grief and Loss
Victims of Illegal Intercountry Adoptions speak out at the UN
ICAV presents at the UN first year anniversary of the Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions, where to from here.
Reunion and Beyond Webinar
ICAV shares part 2 of the Search and Reunion webinars in intercountry adoption by adoptee panelists.
Call me by my Name
Ae Ra shares about the process of embracing of her birth name at an adoption retreat.
Reunification with my Colombian Family
A Colombian Australian intercountry adoptee shares their story of reunification with biological family.
A different type of Reunion
Damian shares about a different type of reunion, not with biological family but with an adopted sibling who got returned to the State in Australia.
Searching for my family in Russia
Raya shares about searching for Russian family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.
Searching for my family in the Philippines
Desiree shares about searching for Filippino family in our series dedicated to exploring the complexities, challenges, and realities for intercountry adoptees.
Dear Mum and Dad
Jen writes to her original parents expressing the sorrow and grief of never meeting them and her life being adopted to Australia as a First Nations Canadian.
Dear Korea, About Mia*
kim thompson shares her letter to Korea about her friend who was adopted and committed suicide in her 30s
Adoptee Grief and Zen Meditation
Desiree shares her journey of acknowledging and embracing feelings of grief and loss that arise during Zen meditation. We all try to find paths towards healing.
Learning to Grieve as a Child
Paul expresses the depths of pain and healing an adoptee undergoes who has suffered complex trauma via relinquishment and adoption via his artwork and writing.
UK Intercountry Adoptees Webinar
ICAV UK shares a panel of intercountry adoptee answers to questions asked by UK adoptive parents from AdoptionUK via a webinar run on 30 Jan 2023.
Your Grief is Your Gift
Through her poetry, Kamina explores adoption, relinquishment and her lifelong journey of discovery.
Vietnamese adopted brother and sister find each other through DNA
An unexpected DNA match between brother and sister, both separately adopted out of Vietnam to different countries, provides a unique story as intercountry adoptees.
How to Truly Save and Help a Child
Jessica shares the realities of intercountry adoption and what people can do to help a vulnerable child in need, challenging the usual narrative of adoption.
Being Adopted
Marcella shares on how being adopted has impacted her being.
Grief in Adoption
Cosette shares deep feelings of grief during her life, coming to terms with all she's lost and might never know. Being adopted means living deep grief.
Confirmation that we are born as adoptees
Hollee shares on the significance of having access to information about our origins as adoptees.
An Adoptee’s Thoughts on Haaland vs Brackeen
Patrick shares on the current Haaland vs Brackeen case that challenges the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and asks why family preservation isn't the focus.
One Adoptee’s Thoughts on the UN Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions
Lynelle shares her thoughts on the UN Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoption.
Agent Orange Awareness Month
Lynelle shares thoughts of October as Agent Orange Awareness Month which triggers a deeper look into how she came to be sent abroad as a Vietnamese adoptee.
Suicide Amongst Adoptees
Hilbrand shares about the trauma in relinquishment and adoption and the connection with suicide amongst adoptees.
Adoptee Artists
Art is an incredibly powerful tool to convey the complexities of lived experience in adoption. Here is a compilation of the artwork presented at ICAV.