There’s a version of the adoption conversation that feels too small, too rushed, and too boxed into false either-or choices. So we made space for something deeper: Tammy Tuttle’s story of “the third choice” and the long, faith-led road that brought her daughter, Remy, home. Tammy is a mother of five who started with a simple desire to adopt, then spent years learning patience through closed doors, doubts, and the kind of waiting that tests your peace.

We talk through what adoption actually looks like on the ground: overseas adoption barriers, domestic infant adoption realities, and the practical steps that matter most, including contacting local family adoption attorneys, completing a home study, and getting adoption paperwork finished before an opportunity appears. Tammy shares the moment she finally surrendered the desire to God, asking for it to be removed if it wasn’t meant for their family, and waking up with a calm confidence she couldn’t manufacture.

Then everything changes with one phone call and an impossible timeline. Tammy tells the birth story that still brings her to tears: meeting Savannah, receiving an invitation into the delivery room, and witnessing the courage it takes for a birth mother to choose adoption. We also explore what people rarely say out loud, including the grief adoptive parents can feel for a birth mom after leaving the hospital, and the surprising, beautiful bond that can grow even when an adoption begins as “closed.” Tammy closes with how she tells Remy her adoption story with love, why Remy’s compassion matters, and the scripture that reshaped how she sees adoption.

If this story moves you, help us reach the next listener who needs hope: subscribe, share this episode, and leave a review. What does “the third choice” mean to you?

Connect with Jen:

www.thehealinginsharing.com

Jen Lee Listens: Private listening support for women. Book Here:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=38958021

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Email: TheHealingInSharing@gmail.com

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Book: Why I Survived; Where Survival Becomes Strength

The background music is written, performed and produced exclusively by Melissa Turri.
https://melissaturrimusic.com/

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“I spent so many years trying to figure out who I am rather than just being who I am and figuring out how to love her.”

What if we remember childhood not by what happened, but by how it felt? In this episode of The Healing in Sharing, returning guest Michelle shares a story built from fragments of memory, emotion, and survival. She opens up about childhood trauma, inherited shame, teen pregnancy, marital violence, motherhood, and the silence that can keep families protecting what should have been named.

Michelle also shares the full-circle moment of talking with her dad before publicly revealing her childhood trauma. Central to the story is the loss of her daughter, Maddie, a grief that transformed Michelle’s view of faith, purpose, and healing.

This is a raw and honest episode about breaking silence, naming what was never yours to carry, and choosing a different ending.

Contact Michelle: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellecbutler11

How Can We Prevent Shallow Water Blackout After Maddisyn’s Loss? - Michelle: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1771834/episodes/16156164

Jen Lee Listens: Private listening support for women. Book Here:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=38958021

THIS: www.thehealinginsharing.com

Follow:

Instagram: @TheHealingInSharing

YouTube: @TheHealingInSharing11

Email: TheHealingInSharing@gmail.com

Subscribe: Apple podcast, Spotify, etc

Book: Why I Survived; Where Survival Becomes Strength

The background music is written, performed and produced exclusively by Melissa Turri.
https://melissaturrimusic.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

One night. One moment. A lifetime of impact.

In this episode, Theresa shares how a violent experience as a teenager changed the course of her life in ways she never expected. What happened in a single night didn’t just stay in the past, it shaped how she saw herself, her safety, her voice, and her future.

But this is more than just a story about trauma.

It’s about what comes next.

It’s about carrying something heavy over the years... and what it feels like to slowly start unpacking it.

Through honesty and courage, Theresa shares the lasting effects of violence, the quiet ways it follows you, and the strength needed to face it.

If you’ve ever wondered how one moment can shape a lifetime or how healing begins after something you didn’t choose, this conversation will meet you there.

Basic teen dating violence tips:

• Pay attention to sudden isolation from friends or family.
• Notice if a teen seems afraid to upset their partner.
• Be aware of constant texting, checking in, or needing to know where they are.
• Watch for controlling behavior around clothes, friends, or daily choices.
• Take emotional changes seriously, especially shame, fear, or withdrawing.
• Create a calm space to talk without judgment or pressure.
• Remind teens that control is not love.
• Let them know they can tell you the truth without being blamed.

National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.)
Call or text 800-799-7233 (SAFE)
Chat at thehotline.org
Available 24/7, confidential, and free.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Learn more: www.thehealinginsharing.com

Jen Lee Listens: Private listening support for women. Book Here:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=38958021

Follow:

Instagram: @TheHealingInSharing

YouTube: @TheHealingInSharing11

Email: TheHealingInSharing@gmail.com

Subscribe: Apple podcast, Spotify, etc

Book: Why I Survived; Where Survival Becomes Strength: https://a.co/d/0dKLym3O

The background music is written, performed and produced exclusively by Melissa Turri.
https://melissaturrimusic.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show