Adoptions From The Heart Plays a Role in New Adoption Documentary

In "Never Giving Up On Cam" a birth father named Darrick (Rizzo) Rizzo looks back and tells the story of the trauma he went through when he placed his son in an open adoption with an anonymous agency located three hours away from the Greater Philadelphia region. Years later Rizzo is now a successful businessman running a media production company Cam Media Team. His company works on projects for a variety of clientele working in the entertainment industry, real estate, and eventually an adoption agency! This adoption agency was not the same one he worked with 20+ years ago. This agency was Adoptions From The Heart (AFTH), a nonprofit with its main office located in Wynnewood, PA. Through AFTH he learns what open adoptions are supposed to look like when social workers set the foundation for the adoption triad to honor and nurture open communication throughout the child's life.

Rizzo's story begins at just 18 years old when he was hit with the shocking news that his high school sweetheart was pregnant with their son. Although Rizzo did not see himself becoming a parent at this age, he was determined to make some profound changes in his life to properly raise his son. Despite Rizzo's drive to parent his son, other sources convinced the young couple that adoption was the route they should take. Although adoption was not what Rizzo truly wanted, he agreed to support his partner and accompany her to a meeting with an adoption counselor.

The adoption was supposed to be what is known as open adoption, which is when all parties agree for a birth parent to remain in the child's life through correspondences like pictures, letters, and the occasional visit. Rizzo liked the fact that an open adoption allows the birth parents to choose and meet with the prospective adoptive parents. Unfortunately, the outcome of this open adoption did not have a happy conclusion. The prospective adoptive parents ended up breaking a lot of their initial promises like having Thanksgiving dinner together, last-minute cancellations of visits, and worst of all-never telling Cam he was adopted. Rizzo developed a resentment towards adoption.

The birth father found therapeutic ways to cope with his loss by sharing his story in a book he wrote, "The Open Adoption: A birth father's journey." Rizzo also would go to speak at meetings held by the agency that facilitated his son's adoption for prospective adoptive parents about how it affected his life. At this point in his life he did not think adoption agencies were doing an adequate job at 1) educating prospective adoptive parents on the importance of keeping their promises to birth parents 2) educating expecting parents on their rights 3) providing post-placement counseling for birth parents.

His distrust in the foundation of open adoption is lessened once he and his company Cam Media Team began working with Adoptions From The Heart for their online educational series "AFTHtv.” Through AFTHtv Rizzo was able to meet and connect with birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees who continue to have a strong relationship with one another.

“I feel as though I healed. I use the word ‘healed’ because this is like therapy for me. Coming to work, I’m behind-the-scenes of ‘Adoptions From The Heart tv’ and hear [birth parent, adoptive parent, and adoptee] stories and it’s like ‘this is amazing like, like adoption is not bad.’ That is what I have learned from you guys [Adoptions From The Heart staff],” said Rizzo on why Cam Media Team continues to be to support and work with AFTH.

AFTH staff members such as Executive Director Heidi Gonzalez, Director of Marketing & Communications Kristy Hartley-Galbraith, and Adoption Counselor/AFTHtv host Amanda Aliberti are interviewed in the film. They collectively feel that Rizzo "missed out" on his opportunity to parent due to a lack of education on what his options were as an expecting father.

"I believe Rizzo’s story is not unique, but things have evolved since he placed his son. Many states now have legally binding agreements and parents are becoming more educated on open adoption.

Hopefully, his story will encourage adoptive parents to honor their commitments, these birth parents entrusted their children to adoptive parents and only want to be involved to a very small extent in the scheme of things. They want to make sure they made the right decision and that their child is well taken care of," said Gonzalez.

"Never Giving Up On Cam" is available to stream now on Amazon and is free to watch for all Amazon Prime members.