Adoptee Story: Tammy Murphy

May 23, 2025

Birth Mother

INTRO: In this raw and powerful poem, fellow adoptee Tammy shares a glimpse into the pain, confusion, and questions that can follow an adoptee throughout life. Her words speak what many feel but few are able to say out loud.

Since it was her body

It was her choice

To get an abortion

or give me up for adoption.

She chose the latter

And from that choice

I felt as if I would never matter.

When I was born

I was thrown to the street

Instead of being around the people

I was supposed to meet.

I feel as though I was born and bred

in the worst way

groomed in rumors and whispers

raised by people, I saw as liars.

From that I learned

don’t trust, love or feel

because I will never know

if it is real.

Written & Created by

Tammy K. Murphy

Author Bio:

I am an adoptee. I classify myself as an EDA (early discovery adoptee) because I experienced adoption trauma early in life. I found out when I was 10, by 12 years old understood what it meant.

You can find and connect with Tammy on

Facebook: Early Discovery Adoptee

and

Instagram: comingoutthatfogisamutha

Amanda Medina

I was adopted from Medellin, Colombia to Sweden in 1985. I was about a year and a half when I started my life as an adoptee, and it would take 32 years until I was ready to face what that means, what that has always meant, and what that will always mean.