Mikki M.A. Shepard Interview Published on: 19, Sep 2023

Born in Queens, NY. I spent elementary school years living in The Bronx then moved to Dumont, NJ to begin high school, and finally to Wallkill, NY my senior year. I wanted to become a teacher.

I joined the Air Force in 1970 and was stationed in San Antonio TX. I had a roommate who blamed everything that ever went wrong in her life on her stepfather. I too had a stepfather, but he was definitely my Dad and so many things that went right in my life, I credited him. Kind of the beginning of knowing I wanted to write about not requiring biology to create a family.

The military taught me discipline and a continued appreciation for our country and the freedoms we have. Becoming self-employed is almost always where the discipline came in handy. I have mostly worked from home over the years, and it takes persistence and discipline to “work” when home and not get distracted. I think the military also influenced my belief in being on time.

Growing up I realized how many people in our extended family came via marriage or adoption.

The Law of Attraction is always working, whether we believe in it or not. In our case, without us realizing it, a friend had mentioned to us to another friend about how much we wanted to bring a baby into our lives. Two years later, the second friend told another friend who had decided to place her baby for adoption. That baby became our son very unexpectedly and extremely welcomed. We realized later piecing our story and the birthmother’s story together that our son had been working his way to us for quite some time.

I was approached by VoiceAmerica about doing a show about raising awareness of adoption. It seemed like a natural evolution from my book and gave me the opportunity to relate, not just my story, but stories from industry experts, adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive parents. We seemed to have hit a niche. The show is currently in hiatus while we seek to partner with a like-minded sponsor. Although we haven’t done a new show in a while, the on-demand numbers of existing shows continue to be in high demand. People can check them out at www.adoptionasachoice.live

There are so many, but to name a few: many people refer to giving “up” a baby when it’s the most courageous and unselfish gift a birthmother can give to her child, herself, and the adoptive parents. Another is fear that the birth parents will change their minds. Once the parental rights have been legally terminated, the only people who can change their minds are the adoptive parents during the waiting period for the adoption to become final. Another is that some believe the child comes into the world with preconceived behavioral traits… false. Children learn what they see and hear from the family in which they are adopted, which IS their family.

Not really. There are, of course, some people who say they are about choice, but they usually only mean the choice they believe in. Adoption is one possible choice for someone who finds themselves in an unplanned pregnancy. Education about adoption simply gives another viable, loving, and life-affirming choice.

I follow many industry leaders and constantly check out new laws and trends. By having a variety of guests share their stories, we are always seeing a new twist or thought about adoption.

I’ve said from the beginning that if reading our story changes the mind of one birth mother or father who then chooses adoption, I’ll have made a difference.

Through Adoption As A Choice, each guest offered a unique perspective. One of the most memorable was learning about Save the Storks. Their stork buses have resulted in 3 out of 4 women choosing to go forward with the birth of their babies. Another was learning about “snowflake” adoptions which allow frozen embryos to become adopted. Honestly, every guest I’ve interviewed had a memorable story.

Until recently, it was easy to separate the various roles I had while incorporating the message in each. Now, I’m focused on sharing the messages in my book, and from guests through my radio show, speaking, and writing.

I believe the niche’ we’ve hit is open to hearing more. Spreading true stories surrounding adoption through all parties and experts, helps people’s awareness grow and helps them share that message. Right now, we are seeking partners with like values to help get the show back on the air and grow.

Right now, there are several projects involving my book and I hope to share that information by the end of the year. We are about to kick off an “encore” season of Adoption As A Choice to rekindle listeners and others' attention as we prepare for our next season. Eventually, my plan is to write a sequel to IN A HEARTBEAT-The Miracle of a Family That Was Meant to Be. The sequel will share other people’s stories to provide a wider reach for the audience.

It’s been a few years but I’m not exactly sure when.