TITLE: Adoptees Caring for Aging Parents

DESCRIPTION

The first We the Experts of 2025 features adult adoptees who have experienced caring for their aging parents. Each panelist will share their unique perspective on the intersection of being an adoptee and caregiver. They will explore themes of responsibility, family dynamics, and the complexities of providing care for parents with whom they may have complex histories. Through personal stories and insights, the panelists will discuss the emotional, logistical, and demanding aspects of caregiving, offering a sensitive and thought-provoking conversation about the relationship between adoptees and their parents as they face the realities of aging and care.

Topics of discussion will include:

What emotions or challenges have come up for you as an adoptee in a caregiving role? How do you manage or navigate these emotions?
What role does the concept of "family" play in your caregiving experience?
As an adoptee, relationships with parents can be complex. Are there particular aspects of your relationship with your parent(s) that have shaped how you handle this particular responsibility?
Caregiving can be demanding. How do you take care of your own emotional and physical well-being while balancing the needs of your aging parent(s)?

PANELISTS

Ty Cliffel (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner supporting those impacted by foster/kinship care, adoption and family separation. Through her work with Adoption Network Cleveland, Ty is committed to creating healing spaces for individuals navigating the complexities of adoption and DNA discoveries, reunion, and its aftermath. She believes adoption is a developmental experience that affects individuals throughout the lifespan and strives to provide support and understanding to those on this journey. Ty is a domestic adoptee in reunion since 1993. Ty looks forward to participating in this panel to explore how adoption issues impact the experience of caregiving and the loss of adoptive and birth parents.

Ana Felicia [VanderPol] (she/her) is an International, Intercountry, Transracial Adoptee from Colombia, South America. She was adopted in 1978 at approximately 6 weeks old, and eventually, when she was two years old moved permanently to the states with her adopted parents who were missionaries with Latin American Missions. Ana is an Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist, Early Childhood educator and has worked in Montessori Education for over 20 years. Her passion is advocating for children and staff of the global majority working in predominantly white spaces. She currently resides on the land of the Cowlitz, Cascades, Clackamas and the over 30 tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, AKA Portland, OR. Ana is looking forward to sharing the highs and lows of her experience as a caregiver of over a decade for her adopted mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s.

Ana wants to share the power of her experience reclaiming her adoption story, as the Alzheimer's journey of her adopted mother has unfolded over the last decade; understanding ambiguous grief and loss prior to having language to critically think about her adoption story and reclaim the narrative as her own.

Gabbie Ryan (she/her) was adopted from China at 18 months old by a family in Minnesota. She is a leader in diversity, equity, and justice in the Twin Cities, specializing in adoptee self-discovery, creating support structures, and navigating predominantly white spaces. Gabbie graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a B.A. in Psychology and Family Studies, along with minors in Sociology and Business. She currently resides in Minnesota with her partner, child, and a zoo of eight pets. Ever since Gabbie can remember, her adoptive dad has been chronically ill and was given six months to live over a decade ago. At 49 years old at the time of Gabbie’s birth, her adoptive dad’s age, physical ability, aging community, and attitude have always posed challenges in their relationship and family dynamic. Gabbie’s mom is the youngest of five and was 34 when Gabbie was born, which has led to a lifetime of caregiving for parents, grandparents, and now, her own children.

Shelise Gieseke (she/hers) is a transnational, South Korean, interracial adoptee. She was adopted as an infant through an adoption agency by a white family and raised on a farm in Minnesota with her three siblings who are biological to her adoptive parents. As the former Head of Operations at Adoption Mosaic, Shelise has worked in the adoption community as an administrator, educator, and advocate. She also co-curated the blog Land of Gazillion Adoptees and has been a guest on several podcasts. Shelise lives in Portland, OR with her wonderful husband and two amazing biological children. She is excited to be on this panel because this topic is very relevant to her currently and she is eager to hear from others about their experiences.