EPISODE SHOW NOTES

ATEC - Episode 77: Emma's Laugh: The Gift of Second Chances ft. Diana Kupershmit

Episode 77: Emma's Laugh: The Gift of Second Chances featuring Diana Kupershmit

Diana Kupershmit and her husband had no warning that their first baby Emma would be born with a rare genetic disorder that would leave her profoundly physically and intellectually disabled. A young couple who had been high school sweethearts, they tried to grapple with the  devastating news. When a social worker familiar with their case suggested they give Emma up for adoption, they decided she  would be better off. But soon, pregnant with her second child and wracked by regret and concern over news of Emma’s declining health, Diana realized she needed to get her daughter back.

CONNECT WITH DIANA KUPERSHMIT:

In this episode Diana shares the story of emigrating to the US from Soviet Ukraine in 1979 along with millions of other Jews escaping systemic discrimination, meeting her true love, and how first their profound sorrow about Emma and then their profound love for her shaped their life.

Diana Kupershmit holds a Master of Social Work degree and works for the Department of Health in the Early Intervention program, a federal entitlement program servicing children birth to three with developmental delays and disabilities. She has published online in the Manifest Station, Power of Moms, Motherwell Magazine, Her View From Home, and Still Standing Magazine. On the weekends, she indulges her creative passion working as a portrait photographer specializing in newborn, family, maternity and event photography. She lives in New York City with her family.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

ABOUT YOUR HOST

I’m a writer, a teacher, a native New Yorker, and I love hearing about people’s lives. When I think back to my elementary school days at PS 20 in Flushing, Queens whenever we began social studies or a history lesson I wasn’t that interested in learning about battles, topography, or politics. What I wanted to know was how people lived: What their families were like, how they adapted to their circumstances, what they ate, how they celebrated, how they felt.
 
Sociology became my major at Binghamton University and in my life so far I’ve been an actress, a salesperson, a Zoo Keeper’s Aid, a volunteer animal trainer, an ELL teacher, a mother, and a wife. I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had, all of which led me to create this podcast which is one of the most rewarding projects I’ve undertaken. I couldn’t ask for a better job than having in-depth conversations with survivors, thought leaders, authors, social justice warriors, and people who believe that we are all connected and then getting to share their stories, insight, and vulnerability with listeners.
 
I’m so glad you’ve landed on this page. I hope you find stories here which resonate with you and that you’ll tune in every week. 
 
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on google
Google+
ATEC (Episode 10) (ATEC Pin 3)