The Same Smile - The Triumph of a Mother's Love After Losing Two Daughters, is the story of 2 of my 4 daughters. My first born was lost to adoption in 1968 when I was 17 years old. 21 years later, my second born daughter was lost to leukemia at the age of 16. It is the story of my struggles & triumphs as a broken hearted mother in search of her first lost daughter.
Authors: Susan Mello Souza & Joanne Medeiros
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Susan Mello Souza:
In 1968, at the age of seventeen, Susan was made to surrender her first-born daughter to adoption. Her birthmother experience has led Susan to become an active member in various birthmother support groups, while providing her the opportunity to assist several individuals in their reunions.
Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, Susan lived there until 1988 when she and her husband, Jay, moved their family of three girls, Jackie, Kristine and Beth to Acushnet, MA. More recently, in 2006, Susan and Jay became Snow Birds, wintering in Estero, FL.
"Retirement is fabulous!" says Susan. "And, as the days go by, being busy from morning 'til dusk, I often wonder how I ever had time to work and raise a family."
Her spirit and resilience has enabled Susan to triumph over life's disappointments. After the death of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Jacqueline, in 1990, she founded the Friends of Jackie Memorial Fund which has raised and distributed over $90,000.00.
She is an inspirational speaker, having lectured at Stonehill College, Salve Regina University, American Business Women's Association, "Strengthening Your Spirit" Reiki Retreat, and the Rotary Club, to mention a few.
Susan's extraordinary life experiences offer an important message to all, proving...
"You can do anything in life you set your mind to, provided it is powered by your heart."
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Joanne Medeiros:
Adopted in October 1968, when she was just three weeks old, Joanne was named after her adoptive parents, Joe and Ann Medeiros. She grew up in Fall River, MA with three younger brothers, Jay, Don and Rick, who were each a surprise to Joe and Ann since the doctors had informed them of their inability to conceive, hence Joanne's adoption. She attended Fall River public schools and graduated from BMC Durfee High School in 1986, anxious to start college in the fall at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She later graduated from Umass with a bachelors degree in 1991. Joanne was involved with the marching band and color guard in both high school and college and was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a national woman's fraternity at Umass...little did she know that two of her three sisters, Kris and Jackie, shared the same interests in color guard and the marching band.
After graduating from college, Joanne spent several years living and working as a recruiter for Kelly Services in Macon, Georgia then in Boston, MA. After having returned to the Boston Area, she soon began her current career as an executive assistant and event planner for Hewlett Packard in 1996. Her job with Hewlett Packard relocated her and her husband Scott, also a Hewlett Packard employee, to Atlanta, GA in 2004. Today, both Joanne and Scott are able to work from their home offices, allowing them to return to New England, settling in Sandwich, MA on Cape Cod with their dogs, Riley & Casey.
You can contact Susan & Joanne thru their website: http://www.thesamesmile.com or mama_mazenga@thesamesmile.com
