Charmaine Graham
- Founder/Designer
/Writer/Adoptive Mother Voice
I founded AdoptionProfiles.ca in 2006 after the adoption of our second child. I live in Ontario (part time in Florida), with my husband, Jim Graham and our two domestically adopted children, Macarthur and Madeline (who are the two most amazing, billiant children EVER!). I advocate for ethical and honest communications in adoption, and support the changing horizon open adoption has created in our culture. I also contribute many volunteer hours at our local family shelter, and volunteer for numerous German Shepherd Dog rescues. In addition, I serve the the Children's Health Foundation and the Epilespy Support Centre, and helped found the Graham Family Eco Park whose mission is to provide an ecological experience for families in need. I was honoured to be the author of the Patients Perspective column for Creating Families Magazine published by the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada for 3 years. I am motivated to help my community and those who are suffering under the various issues that accompany childhood illness, poverty, infertility and adoption. As the founder of our local infertility support group that I ran for 7 years, I also speak on the subject of infertility and adoption in order to help people in Canada and the United States work towards their dreams of parenting. Email, call or text me anytime! [email protected] 226-268-2777
Amanda Kavanagh
- Founder/Consulting/Writer/Birth Parent Voice
I have been in involved with AdoptionProfiles.ca behind the scenes for years! I am Amanda and I am a Birth/First Mom. I just graduated from college for office administration executive and am enjoying raising raising my son, Lucas. Sharing a special/unique bond with my daughter and her family (we have amazing open adoption) has been one of the most heart warming experiences of my life. In fact, it feels more like we are all an extended family. We spend birthdays and Christmas together, our daughter has sleep overs with us, and joins us for some of our family events too. Together, Lucas and Madeline know the truth and beauty of adoption and enjoy their sibling relationship. This is such an amazing experience that I have been able to be a part of! Open adoption can be a wonderful experience for everyone who is involved. I am pleased with my decision of who my daughter's adoptive parents will be, in fact, my daughter has such awesome parents who love her just as much as I do! I will never have to worry about my daughter and where she is and how she is doing because I am able to apart of her life due to the amazing adoptive parents she has, she will never have to wonder where she came from or who she is. What caught my eye for my daughter’s parents was their profile, I had about 10 profiles to go through and just 1 stuck out out of all of them. Their profile was put together so well, the appearance was phenomenal, the way that it was put together in a nice book not just paper stapled together or in duo tangs like the others, those ones just didn’t catch my eye. My daughter's adoptive parent had the information about themselves that I wanted to know, I felt as if all the questions I wanted to know was in their profile. The way the spoke through their profile was so down to earth, loving, they had A LOT of pictures which was marvelous to see, it grabbed my attention by being so colorful as well. The page that spoke to me the most about them was a page that was dedicated to “100 Reasons You Want Your Child to Have a Sibling”. Their profile told me on who they were, and choosing them as my daughters family was the best decision I have made, it was the hardest but the best! I am honoured now to be part of the AdoptionProfiles.ca team with my daughters Mom. I love this company!
Denise Ferracciolli
- Designer/Consultant
/Adoptive Parent Voice
My husband and I are proud parents of an amazing girl, adopted through domestic private adoption in 2005. We feel so incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with a child, but the initial step of creating an adoption profile was absolutely daunting. We had no idea what to include in our profile. Even as a graphic artist myself, it was just an overwhelming thought that this book had to accurately reflect our lives, and would be the most important resource an expectant mother would use to choose us to raise her child. I have been there and am happy to help others who are beginning a similar journey. I have worked as a graphic designer and copywriter for more than 22 years. Shortly after adopting our daughter, I made the decision to go out on my own and launch Clever Girl Creative, an art and graphic design studio. I have been successfully delivering unique and innovative design solutions and personalized service to my clients ever since.
Monkia Zimmerman
- Writer/Consultant/Birth Parent Voice
Monika Zimmerman, and her daughter’s birth father, Nick, enjoy and open adoption and loving relationship with their daughter and their daughter’s adoptive parents. Monika’s passions include craft projects and writing about ethical adoption reform. You may find her on facebook under Monika’s Musings, and her blog at
www.musingmonika.com
.
Monika is our Birth Parent Voice and Writer. She provides us with challenging questions and has a thoughtful and educated perspective on open and ethical adoption as well. Without Monika, well, we would just be lost!
Monika is our Birth Parent Voice and Writer. She provides us with challenging questions and has a thoughtful and educated perspective on open and ethical adoption as well. Without Monika, well, we would just be lost!
Michele Ebel
- Professional Copy Editor/Consultant/Foster Parent Voice
Every parent profile on our website is professionally copy edited by freelance writer and editor Michele Ebel. In fact, Michelle has edited over 100 profiles for AdoptionProfiles.ca. For over 15 years, Michele has operated an online editing service from her home-office in London, Ontario, working with clients from all over the world to polish and improve their written presentations of business cases, journal articles, thesis papers, website copy, and manuscripts. Her book-editing credits include historian Sheila M.F. Johnston’s Let’s Go to the Grand: 100 Years of Entertainment at London’s Grand Theatre and UMan professor Hari Bapuji’s Not Just China: The Rise of Recalls in the Age of Global Business.
As a writer, Michele is the author of Remembering Charlie, a commissioned biographical account of the life and work of the late Dr. Charles Peaker, and she has also written a collection of short stories. Her life-and-times column, Equilibrium, appears monthly in the Oakville-based e-magazine Balance My Life.
As a writer, Michele is the author of Remembering Charlie, a commissioned biographical account of the life and work of the late Dr. Charles Peaker, and she has also written a collection of short stories. Her life-and-times column, Equilibrium, appears monthly in the Oakville-based e-magazine Balance My Life.
Lori McGrath
- Adoption Reunion Trace Specialist/Adoptee Voice
We are an Adoption Reuniting firm that helps located children placed for adoption or birth families. Because I was adopted, and so was my husband, we understand what a trying and difficult time it can be in reuniting with a birth family. We are here to support you in your journey! So if you are adopted, or placed a child for adoption, please go to our website, fill out the free consultation request form and one of our associates will arrange an free consultation which will put you on the path of reuniting with your lost family member.
Contact us today at www.SearchTraceLocate.com or call us at 1-866-687-5392
Contact us today at www.SearchTraceLocate.com or call us at 1-866-687-5392
Jim Graham
- Business Consultant/Adoptive Father Voice
Jim is our business consultant and keeps us on track in regards to financial feasibility and fundamental direction...and he is a great choice for this as he has a "bit" of experience. Currently Jim is President of The Try Group and the Better Bin Company. TRY services municipalities and industries throughout Ontario providing construction material recycling and leaf and yard waste composting. TRY has been recognized for its contributions to the environment by its receiving an national award from “Ethics In Action “ for social responsibility and the London Chamber of Commerce Environmental award. Jim is past Chair of both Youth Opportunities Unlimited a non profit agency serving over 6000 youth per year with a diverse range of programs, and the Ontario Waste Management Association. Jim is also Board Member of Juniour Acheivement, Communities in Bloom and Celebrate London. Finally Jim is President of the Great Lakes International Airshow, a non-profit which donates all its profits to Military Families, Children's Lymphoma & Lukemia and local hospitals. Most important of all though, Jim is husband to Charmaine, and father of the two coolest kids EVER on this ENTIRE PLANET, Macarthur & Madeline.
Larry Fuller
- Adoptee Voice/Adoptive Grandfather Voice
Larry Fuller was born in 1945 in the age of closed adoptions. His birth mother left him at the hospital with his father. While his father tried to parent him he soon realized that parenting as a single male in 1945 was unrealistic. A friend put him in touch with someone who knew an older couple, Amy and Dudley Fuller, infertile and without children. They embraced Larry as their son and even, for a few short years, permitted Larry's birth father to visit. When Larry was 5 his parents Dudley and Amy decided it was time for Larry's biological family to end their ties and they shut his biological family out of his life. While Amy and Dudley were wonderful parents, and loved Larry with all their hearts, Larry never was able to re-connect with his biological family. Larry has provided a strong and valuable voice to AdoptionProfiles.ca, reminding us of what the truth is for those who have never been able to find their roots....