This is a list of heroes that have changed the way that Americans think about adoption. Whether their actions were large or small, their words loud or quiet, their stories linger in people’s ears. It’s a powerful discovery to learn that someone you admire was adopted, but it is even more powerful when you learn that that person decided to adopt their own children as well, as in the case with celebrity #1 Frances McDormand.
I remember the first time I noticed a Wendy’s fast food to-go cup crushed on a New York sidewalk. I’d probably seen a thousand of these before, but this time, the cup stood out to me because I read the word “adoption.” I instantly whipped out my phone and realized that the Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas had been adopted and had also made a huge impact on adoption fundraising and legislative initiatives. It was that day that I discovered which fast food restaurant was my favorite. For more interesting stories about adopted adults making a ripple in the mainstream conversation about adoption, please read about these 5 adopted adult celebrities changing the world through adoption advocacy.
