Adopt Perspective Adoption Podcast29 Apr 2025

Bill Esman

One of the voices we hear from least often on Adopt Perspective is that of fathers who lost children to adoption. It’s a perspective that is vital but often left untold, and so we are deeply grateful whenever a father feels ready to step forward and share his experience. In this episode, we are joined by Bill Esman, who is the father of Tracy Shand, a previous guest on our podcast. You may remember Tracy’s story — we first spoke with her in July 2022, and again in the previous episode in April 2025. Bill only discovered he had a daughter when Tracy reached out to him after taking a commercial DNA test. Their reconnection has been an extraordinary journey — one that we are privileged to explore a little further today.

This episode discusses adult themes and listener discretion is advised. For more information go to http://www.jigsawqueensland.com/episode-notes

Your host is Dr Jo-Ann Sparrow - President of Jigsaw Queensland (www.jigsawqueensland.com)

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Facebook - Jigsaw Post-Adoption Centre Queensland

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and the many lands that our clients now live on and we wish to acknowledge and show our respects to Elders past and present for their continuing connection to culture and the contributions they make to community. We acknowledge how much we have to learn from them and their unique understanding of connection and adoption and their recognition that at the base of every change is truth telling and healing.

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Episoder(127)

Unlocking Inner Wealth: Helen Harrison on Adoption and Identity

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A Grafted Branch: Bill Stewart's Adoption Story

Born in Ontario, Canada in 1965, Bill Stewart always knew he was adopted. What he didn't understand until much later was how profoundly that separation and the abuse he experienced growing up would sh...

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How Adoption Echoes Across Generations | Rachel Tham's Story

When Rachel Tham set out to understand her mother's past, she uncovered a family history that changed everything she thought she knew about herself.What began as a search for her mother's origins beca...

30 Jun 51min

Healing Through Art: The 'Broken Bonds Fractured Lives' Project

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Donor Conception and the Right to Know

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26 Mai 1h 5min

The Hidden Truths of Adoption - Bev Shipway

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5 Mai 38min

Late Discovery Adoption: I Was 27 When I Learned the Truth

In this episode, Jo Sparrow speaks with Caroline Liesegang about her journey of discovering her adoption at the age of 27. Caroline shares her experiences growing up in a family where all siblings wer...

14 Apr 37min

When your adoption search ends with a no - Ben Straker

In this episode, Ben Straker shares his journey of self-discovery as an adopted person. He reflects on his childhood, the complexities of family dynamics, and the impact of adoption on his identity. B...

24 Mar 1h 1min