{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/68e5829dd798804c9ed0a1e7/6a8f34536634e0e9babc6227?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Ep. 37 - Laughter Through Tears with Michael Vinton","description":"<p>Host Robin Breuner welcomes Michael Vinton—comedian, actor, nonprofit director, and host of Unspoken Grief—to this week’s episode of the Step Stories Podcast to talk about building a blended family through adoption and fostering. Michael shares how he and his husband Tony pursued private open adoption in 2015–2016, including meeting their first daughter Zanna’s birth parents, and explains challenges for same-sex adoptive parents across different state laws. He contrasts fostering—where reunification is the goal—with adoption, describing multiple heartbreaking foster placements that returned home. Michael recounts how their second daughter, Sabrina, came to them via safe surrender after a NICU stay, adding a biracial dynamic to their family. He also discusses losing his brother in a murder-suicide, founding Impacted Survivors of Murder Suicide, and using Unspoken Grief to provide education, resources, and support groups, ending with advice on patience, openness, and acceptance in blended families.</p><p><strong><u>&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p><strong><u>Michael Vinton:</u></strong></p><p><strong>Email</strong>: &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"mailto:_info@impactedsurvivors.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">info@impactedsurvivors.com</a>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Website</strong>: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"http://www.michaelvinton.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">www.michaelvinton.com</a>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"http://www.impactedsurvivors.org\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.impactedsurvivors.org</a></p><p><strong>Podcast: </strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/7dtCi6SDQaKLD6HYbfxqBw?si=b68a1cfcee3640bf\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Unspoken Grief&nbsp;</a></p><p><strong>IG</strong>: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/therealmichaelvinton/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@therealmichaelvinton</a></p><p><strong>FB</strong>: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/michael.vinton.3/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Vinton</a></p><p><strong>Linkedin</strong>: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-vinton-6702a373\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">m/ichael-vinton-6702a373</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong><u>Robin Breuner&nbsp;</u></strong></p><p><strong>Email:&nbsp;&nbsp;<u>robinbreuner@gmail.com</u></strong></p><p><strong>Website:&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong><a href=\"http://www.robinbreuner.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>www.robinbreuner.com</strong></a></p><p><strong>Instagram:</strong><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stepstoriespodcast/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong> stepstories</strong></a><strong><u>podcastIG</u></strong></p><p><strong>Facebook: </strong><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582689185910\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>stepstoriespodcastFB</strong></a></p><p><strong>Linkedin:&nbsp;</strong><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-breuner-23a84134/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;RobinBreunerLinkIN</strong></a></p><p><strong>Podcast:&nbsp;</strong><a href=\"https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stepstories-podcast/id1846685487\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;StepStories Podcast</strong></a></p><p><strong>Threads:</strong><a href=\"https://www.threads.com/@robinbreuner?xmt=AQF0GOVjXGjpQJa7Aphz1ZVD0-WwsL41APbphovVTHeblsU\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;@robinbreuner</strong></a></p><p><strong>YouTube</strong><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@StepStoriesPodcast\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>: StepStories Podcast YouTube</strong></a></p>","author_name":"Robin Breuner "}