For most of her life, Emily didn’t feel like she needed to explore being adopted. Here she reflects on coming out of the fog, difficult but healing conversations with her mother, and what she’s learned from a year of working at VANISH.

50 years later, adoptee Robert Bender reflects on his role with Jigsaw Victoria – the adoptee rights group which operated from 1976 to 1986 and successfully campaigned to open up birth records for adult adoptees.

Chris found out he was adopted when he was thirteen. It took a health scare almost 30 years later and support from VANISH’s intermediary service before he went looking for answers.

Jude Newcombe spoke to VANISH about writing her memoir – an honest, insightful account of the emotional and psychological impacts of relinquishing a daughter for adoption and the complexities of reunion.

Intercountry adoptee Lakshmi Cashmore writes about the questions she can’t quite answer, and what it means to build a life from them anyway.

Adoptee Cheyne Bull reflects on how their lived experience has shaped their work in social services and how speaking openly about adoption supports one’s own healing.

Adoptee Chris reflects on what he gained from attending the VANISH peer support groups.

Mousumi’s adoption from India to Australia was supposed to be a happy ending, but instead, it marked the beginning of new struggles.

After more than two years of searching, adoptee Jo was able to reconnect with her mother after more than 50 years apart.

“Adoption, from the perspective of an adoptee”

I am still searching for my identity as it was lost at birth.