About this episode

Raven shares her journey of adoption, the impact of her upbringing, and her current work in home health and hospice.

Raven was born in 1949 in North Hollywood, California, and was adopted as a newborn under the belief that her biological mother had died in childbirth—a story that shaped her childhood with anxiety, guilt, and fear of loss. After a difficult upbringing and later learning the truth about her origins, she found purpose later in life supporting the dying and now, at 77, works in home health and hospice, a role she deeply loves.

People in this episode

Hosts: Louise Browne, Sarah Reinhardt

Guest: Raven

Topics covered

• adoption
• identity
• personal history
• healthcare
• family dynamics

Keywords

• adoption
• biological mother
• childhood anxiety
• hospice care
• personal story

Mentioned in this episode

Places: North Hollywood, California

More episodes of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

• Virginia: Live Podcast from Austin, Texas · April 28, 2026 · 55 min
• Alex: An Accident of Birth · April 21, 2026 · 55 min
• Lisa: Adoption, Identity & Health · April 14, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Mioara: The Long Thread Home · April 7, 2026 · 47 min
• Jeff: Behind the Chameleon Mask · March 30, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Greta: The Road from Loneliness to Self · March 24, 2026 · 1h 3m

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