Greta: The Road from Loneliness to Self
S12, Ep. 4: Greta
Born in 1968 in Fargo, ND, during the Baby Scoop Era, Greta spent a month in foster care before being adopted. She was never touched or held by her first mother. Greta was raised in a dysfunctional family, which contributed to her pain and the deep loss she felt, wondering who her first mother was and why she didn't want her. Shrouded in secrecy, adoption was never discussed, and Greta retreated into the Ghost Kingdom — finding refuge in basketball and creativity. Greta received a full-ride college basketball scholarship and majored in theatre, people-pleasing, and perfectionism. She was plagued by feelings of loneliness. She found her first mother and father in 1989 and learned her first mother had had her at 16 and had been sent to a home for unwed mothers. Greta has two full-blood siblings and two half-brothers.
Reunion was initially a fairytale, and although that ended abruptly, she stayed in reunion for over 30 years. She is currently estranged from her first mother and her sister. Greta has worked as an actor in Los Angeles and Phoenix and spent many years in the public defender system as a paralegal. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and rescue dog, Gilda, and credits the connection with other adoptees as lifesaving. Greta has been in recovery from anorexia since 2022. She has written and performed her one-woman show, “Searching for Me in All the Wrong Places,” in Los Angeles and is currently writing a new solo play about her adoption journey.
Season 12 Book: The Adoption Paradox by Jean Kelly Widner
EVENTBRITE LINK - AUSTIN, TEXAS - LIVE PODCAST EVENT: 4/17 & 4/18 2206!
Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be Saturday, April 11th, at 1 pm ET.
RESOURCES for Adoptees:
Gregory Luce and Adoptee Rights Law
Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
