logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
21m 6s

What it's like to find your birth parent...

TED
About this episode
In Britain, one-fourth of people who were adopted make contact with their birth parents before they turn 18. In this episode of Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective, guest host Saleem Reshamwala meets Amanda, a Dominican woman who was adopted by a white couple in Connecticut. Amanda always knew she was adopted, and was curious about her birth parents. After a few years of dead ends, she finally finds her biological mother ... in the last place she expected. You can listen to more Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
What kids wish their parents knew about fun | Mila Rojas
When was the last time you played, just for fun? Eleven-year-old Mila Rojas has noticed that adults — buried under schedules, expectations and the pressure to be serious — often see play as unproductive. In this delightful talk, she shows why having fun is key for families to con ... Show More
8m 34s
Nov 2
The couples therapists who nearly got divorced | Harville Hendrix
Couples therapists Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt spent decades teaching the world how to love well … even as their own marriage was falling apart. In this candid, funny talk, Hendrix recounts the yearlong experiment in listening that saved their relationship — and shows ... Show More
17m 2s
Nov 1
Sunday Pick: Do all my friends secretly hate me? | from Corner Piece
Why does making friends as an adult feel like mission impossible?In today’s Sunday Pick, Corner Piece, host Melissa Fernandes explores what it means to be a friend while grappling with a friendship break up. Along the way, she interviews Anna Goldfarb, journalist and author of “M ... Show More
41m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi
Today something a little different: Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi is a new TED Audio Collective podcast. We all want to know if we’re normal—do I have enough friends? Should it take me this long to get over my ex? Should I move or stay where I am? Endlessly curious data journali ... Show More
3m 15s
Oct 2021
Coming soon: Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi
Launching October 18 from the TED Audio Collective. We all want to know if we’re normal—do I have enough friends? Should it take me this long to get over my ex? Should I move or stay where I am? Endlessly curious data journalist Mona Chalabi NEEDS to know, and she’s ready to dive ... Show More
2m 25s
Nov 2021
What is this podcast about?
Originally titled "All American Adoptee", this podcast seeks to address one person: my birth mom. Written and spoken in the form of a love letter, Letter to Her discusses the complicated feelings of being an international adoptee. 
2m 38s
Oct 2021
Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi
Today, a trailer from Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, a new TED Original podcast.​​Everyone wants to know if they're normal. Is my body normal, is my brain normal, are my feelings normal? When it comes to defining “normal,” data journalist Mona Chalabi isn’t interested in average ... Show More
2m 58s
Oct 2023
Getting To Know Christen Dominique
On this episode of the Overcomfort podcast, I sit down with Christen Dominique. Long time influencer and youtube creator turned business owner shares her experience and journey to get where she is today. We connect and get into deep conversation about discovering her biological f ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2021
Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi
Today, a trailer from Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi, a new TED Original podcast.​​Everyone wants to know if they're normal. Is my body normal, is my brain normal, are my feelings normal? When it comes to defining “normal,” data journalist Mona Chalabi isn’t interested in average ... Show More
2m 54s
Apr 2024
CHAPTER TWELVE: Dr. Amanda Baden On Adoption
Only finding out as an adult that you were adopted can throw you into a tailspin, forcing you to reconsider long-held truths. In this bonus episode, we hear from Dr. Amanda Baden, an expert on the experiences of late discovery adoptees. Research has shown the later an adoptee fin ... Show More
24m 34s
Nov 2022
Encore: Who's Your Daddy?
<p>When Steve Lickteig turned 18, he learned that his mother and father, who he thought were his adoptive parents, are in fact his biological grandparents. With the advent of affordable DNA testing and companies like 23andMe, more and more people are having revelations like Mr. L ... Show More
40m 44s
May 2022
Why was I adopted? Women looking for birth stories
<p>What's it like being adopted into a country far away from your birth and into a family that looks very different to you? International and transracial adoptions both come with challenges for children and parents. Beatriz de la Pava talks to two women born in Colombia and South ... Show More
31m 56s