I Survived Adoption Short-Sleeve Unisex T-Shirt

I SURVIVED ADOPTION I CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING 

This graphic design was inspired by Adoptee Merch founder, Pamela Karanova.

What does “I SURVIVED ADOPTION I CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING” mean to me?

I’ve survived many things in life, and multiple traumatic situations but for me being adopted has been by far the hardest, deepest, rawest most difficult trauma and wound I have experience to date. I don’t like to compare traumatic events but because I have experienced many I know first hand which ones I’ve been able to heal from, which ones I’ve been impacted by the most and how these traumas have impacted me in various ways over my lifetime.

The reason this graphic design was so important to me is because we live in a world that glorifies the very same thing that causes adoptees trauma: ADOPTION.  I don’t think non-adoptees have ever had a reason to TRY to understand what it’s like to have your trauma celebrated by the world. I mean why would they? There is no other trauma but adoption that is glorified, celebrated and put on a pedestal like adoption is.

We’re expected to be thankful for this trauma which causes us a lifetime of deep seeded pain because how can we share our pain when it doesn’t line up with the worlds expectations of adoption? Anytime I’ve tried I’m usually shut down with silencer statements like “Aren’t you glad you weren’t aborted” or “Aren’t you thankful someone took you in when your birth parents couldn’t take care of you?” All these statements only add to our trauma and they are not helpful to us in anyway.

Adoption is TRAUMA. Adoption is LOSS. Adoption is GRIEF. Adoption is PAIN. Adoption is ABANDONMENT. Adoption is REJECTION. Adoption is ISOLATION. Adoption is SAD. Adoption is LONELY. Adoption is SECRECY. Adoption is LIES.

There are so many other things adoption is from an adoptees perspective that the world has no clue about.

ADOPTION SURVIVOR? 

This shirt, “I SURVIVED ADOPTION I CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING” is because as adoptees, WE ARE SURVIVORS! WE ARE STRONG. We might not feel like it, but it’s the truth. This graphic design for Adoptee Merch was inspired for not only myself, but all my fellow adoptees out there who don’t feel strong but need a reminder every now and then. It’s to wear so the rest of the world can see that adoption is much more complicated than any of them can imagine and in order to be a SURVIVOR of ADOPTION perhaps this graphic design will spark conversations in our communities, so we can share the TRUTH about what Adoption has really been to us.

This makes for a great staple t-shirt. It's made of a thicker, heavier cotton, but it's still soft. And the double stitching on the neckline and sleeves add more durability to what is sure to be a favorite!

• 100% ringspun cotton
• 4.5 oz (153 g/m2)
• Pre-shrunk
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center

Size guide