Episode 11,2005:
Unwed Mothers’ Home, Kansas City, Missouri
Gwen: Our first story investigates teenage pregnancy in the 1950s and ‘60s. It’s 1961. A young unmarried woman somewhere near Kansas City, Missouri, discovers she is pregnant. It’s an era when unwed mothers are stigmatized and shunned by society. She gives birth to a girl and puts her up for adoption. The baby’s adoptive parents name her Dodie and never reveal her mother and father’s names or where she was born. It’s a mystery that has haunted her since she was a child. Now in her 40s, Dodie Jacobi has an object that she hopes will solve the mystery of her birth.
Dodie Jacobi: I was an infant adopted from a home for unwed mothers in 1961, and my only connection to that home is a dainty medal that was pinned to my diaper when I was adopted. I wore that medal for about 10 years until the gold plating wore off, and I’ve always wondered who gave me that medal and where was I adopted.
Gwen: I’m Gwen Wright, and I’ve come to Kansas City, Missouri, to look into Dodie’s story....
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