Building Bridges Between Adoptive and Biological Families

Colton was adopted at three months old into a family where four out of five children were adopted. Growing up black in a white family felt regular until others started pointing out the differences. External expectations about how he should act conflicted with who he actually was, creating years of identity crisis. In this episode of Voices of Adoption, host Donna Pope sits down with Colton Prestwich to explore the adoptee perspective on transracial adoption, identity formation, and maintaining relationships across both adoptive and biological families.

Sports Became His Refuge

Middle school and early high school brought the hardest years. People formed expectations about how Black people should act from television and news media. When Colton didn't fit those stereotypes, it confused them. Sports became his sanctuary. On the football field and track, nobody cared about his skin color. They only cared if he was good. That meritocracy gave him space to figure out who he was without pressure to perform someone else's idea of identity.

The Reunion That Changed Everything

When Colton's adoptive mother did DNA testing to find his biological family, the reunion in Portland felt like something out of a movie. Despite having no pictures, they recognized each other immediately. The connection was genuine and instant. Colton made multiple trips to Colorado to spend time with his birth mother Catherine and extended family. Adding a biological family didn't diminish his adoptive family. It completed something he hadn't fully realized was missing.

Life in Two Families

Today, Colton maintains relationships with both families. His biological mother has joined his adoptive family for Thanksgiving dinner. His adoptive mom supports his connection with the woman who gave birth to him. Colton's message to birth mothers carries no shame, only gratitude. His advice to adoptive parents emphasizes openness from the beginning. To fellow adoptees, he offers realistic hope based on finding wholeness through reunion.

Looking for support on your adoption journey? Visit VoicesofAdoption.org for support, resources, and community from every corner of the adoption constellation. Subscribe to the Voices of Adoption show for real stories and resources that help families across the adoption constellation find support and for expert insights on adoption wellness.

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