About Me

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Pamela Karanova, an adult adoptee, living in Lexington, Kentucky, was born in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1974. Although Pamela’s roots are scattered all over Iowa, she considers Kentucky to be her home.

As a young girl, Pamela learned she was adopted, and she was told her biological Mother loved her “so much” she gifted her to another woman to care for her. Becoming a mother was this other woman’s dream come true, so there was no room left for Pamela’s sadness regarding this news. Pamela always dreamed about her biological Mother, pondering who she was, and she searched her entire life trying to find her.

Pamela’s adoptive parents divorced when she was a year old, and her childhood was filled with highs and lows, as most are. At the high points, she was able to run free in nature, escaping her childhood’s devastating realities. Her love for nature is true love, and she’s not found in many other places that can compare. The low points caused her to focus on finding her first family, making it a priority from a very early age. After a childhood filled with unforgettable abuse, her high hopes of finding her biological family came to an unexpected turn. She finally found her birth parents after a life of secrecy, lies and half truths, but there was one catch.

They didn’t want to be found.

Pamela learned the truth of her existence, discovering she was a product of an affair when her biological Mother slept with a married man. She was born into a world of shame, secrecy, and lies as her biological Mother kept her pregnancy a secret. She made a choice to surrender her for adoption without Pamela’s biological father’s consent. For the next 48 years, Pamela has been impacted by this decision in measurable ways.

The circle of life and persistence in discovering her roots have brought Pamela back around to find her truth. Pamela believes it’s a natural yearning to know who you are and where your roots originate. She feels learning this truth, as traumatic and devastating as it’s been, has been the only way towards healing & freedom.

Pamela believes when adoptees don’t have their truth, healing is unachievable.

Over the last twelve years, Pamela has dedicated much of her life to not only work towards healing regarding her adoptee journey but also pouring into the adoptee community. She’s created resources for adult adoptees and built relationships with adoptees all over the world. In an attempt to be true to her authenticity by sharing her story from a candid viewpoint, Pamela has learned to share her lived experiences in a way that reaches other adoptees who have sometimes felt hopeless. She also reaches adoptees around the world who’ve found life to be unattainable.

Through Pamela’s website, she shares her enlightenment journey on what it’s like to be an adult adoptee. While inspiring and encouraging her fellow adoptees by bringing awareness to the complexities of what it feels like to be adopted. She believes that we can embrace life, find our passions and happiness in the process of a complicated situation. She believes freedom is rooted in finding our truth and purpose in life as we navigate our painful experiences together. Pamela feels adoptees need to be validated and heard, and she encourages those who aren’t adopted to listen more and talk less.

Pamela believes in order to heal it, we must feel it. For Adoptees to have a safe place to share feelings with those who understand, she decided to create Connect Groups specifically for Adoptees.

Pamela is the President of a National Nonprofit called Adoptees Connect.  Adoptees Connect is focused on putting adoptee voices first, creating irreplaceable adoptee-centric spaces where adoptee voices meet. The original connect group was planted in Lexington, KY, in January 2018. In just three short years, 50 connect groups have been planted in different locations around the USA, with two being in Canada. Pamela’s vision for Adoptees Connect didn’t stop in her community. She desires all adoptees to have an adoptee community to fall back on, so these groups are growing and expanding globally. They are designed to take online relationships offline and get to know the person behind the profile. In April 2019, Pamela won the “Angel In Adoption” award on behalf of the National Association for Adoptees and Parents for her role in the adoption community. Pamela is the creator and founder of Adoptee Remembrance Day – October 30th.  Here is a Adoptees Connect, Inc. Google Earth Project she’s created that shows all the group locations scattered all over the USA, Canada and even Queensland, Australia.

Every Story Has a Struggle. The Key Is Finding Purpose in the Pain

By sharing her journey and experiences, Pamela is hopeful her fellow adoptees will be enlightened and encouraged. Pamela believes relinquishment is rooted in complex- PTSD, abandonment, rejection, grief, loss & trauma, but CAN experience beauty in life. She believes adoption only compacts this trauma.

Pamela is a volunteer mobile notary for the state of Kentucky for seniors and veterans and enjoys being a gift to the community of people who have given us so much to us. She’s a wanderess and adventurist in her great state of Kentucky and she enjoys nature trips and chasing waterfalls in her spare time. She enjoys the simple things in life, coffee, tea, sunrises, sunsets, bonfires, stargazing, hiking, kayaking, playing in creeks, rivers and visiting cafe’s and taking day trips all over the state of Kentucky.

Pamela believes adoptees have the most valuable expertise in the adoption platform.  She’s focused on finding everyday purpose by using a lifetime of painful experiences as a launching pad in walking her calling out. Although Pamela has been disenchanted with adoption, over time, through the healing process, she’s been able to find happiness within herself that’s otherwise been nonexistent.

Please follow her on her Facebook page – Pamela Karanova. 

Don’t forget that Pamela is streaming her articles on several audio platforms for your convenience! 👇🏼
🌎 Google – https://bit.ly/3JP6NY0

🎧 Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3Ny6h35

☕️– Buy Me A Coffee https://bit.ly/3uBD8eI

Toward Preventing Adoption Related Suicide – Pamela is Featured on Huffington Post

Pamela Was Nominated for the Best Articles for Adoptees 2015 Check this link out!

Pamela was nominated as one of the best Adoptee Blogs of 2017

Pamela on Adoptees On Podcast, Pamela A. Karanova, Adoptees Connect, and Adoptee Remembrance Day. 

Pamela on Who Am I Really? Podcast

Pamela on Overcoming Odds Podcast

Pamela on NAAP Happy Hour

Pamela on This Adoptee Life

Article on Light of Day Stories about Adoptees Connect, Inc.

Bringing Adult Adoptee Issues to Light by Angela Burton of Next Avenue

These Adoptees Refuse to Be Christian Pro-Life Poster Kids by Kathryn Post of Religious News Service

Pamela’s platform that’s been around for over a decade – How Does it Feel to Be Adopted? 

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