1
Blood can help make family, but family often transcends blood.DaShanne Stokes
2
Discovering that I was adopted redefined my entire world, but it taught me that who you are doesn't change.DaShanne Stokes
3
Being denied their original birth certificates isn't just a problem for adoptees. It's a social problem, requiring social change.DaShanne Stokes
4
What makes a family is neither the absence of tragedy nor the ability to hide from misfortune, but the courage to overcome it and, from that broken past, write a new beginning.Steve Pemberton
5
Adoptees deserve open records because deception and partial truths do not set us free.DaShanne Stokes
6
Adoption isn't just a childhood experience, it's a life-long experience.DaShanne Stokes
7
It's illegal to deny people their records due to race or gender. Adoptees deserve the same rights and protections.DaShanne Stokes
8
Destiny is not always preordained. Life is about making choices. Our lives are the sum of all the choices we make, the bridges we cross, and the ones we burn. Our souls cast long shadows over many people, even after we are gone. Fate, luck, and providence are the consequence of our freedom of choice, not the determinants. When justice is served by following our principles, making good decisions brings us inner peace.Judith Land
9
If you should choose to look at those files, you will have to live with the consequences of your choices while, at the same time, being mindful that these choices will not only effect you, but will also infect, sorry, I intended to say effect, our entire family.Donna K. Childree
10
Adoptee rights are everyone's rights, and they deserve to be protected.DaShanne Stokes
11
If the system were designed to protect adoptees, why do so many have to fight for their rights?DaShanne Stokes