Kismet

Shelby Redfield Kilgore

Mission Statement

To create awareness and education about adoption.

On August 17, 1984, I traveled by plane from South Korea to the United States. I was just shy of 11 months old, flying in the company of other orphaned babies coming to America. When we arrived at the airport, we were placed into the arms of our adoptive parents, and we began our new lives across the sea. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I know my family was meant to be. It was Kismet.

As an adult adoptee, it has always been in my heart to share my adoption story, as well as the stories of others who are willing. With the experience I’ve gained as a producer at an amazing Emmy Award winning company, I decided it was time for me to put my fears aside and use my skills as a storyteller to document the many faces of adoption. It has been something I've dreamed about since I was a teenager, and now I'm finally turning it into a reality for myself and others.

With these three webseries, Placed, Kismet and Beyond Biological, I plan to capture the voices of the adult adoptee, the birth parents, adoptive parents, and all the people involved in helping bring a family together. My goal is to touch on private and foster care domestic adoptions and international adoptions, and to explore the idea of closed vs. open adoption. I hope to educate and inspire, and to bring awareness about the adoption world.

I truly believe that when people open their hearts and share their stories about adoption, with all of the love, pain, and joy they experienced, they can help others, and ultimately make a difference in the world.

I wish to express my thanks to all the people and families who have shared their story with me and who will in the future.

Thank you to all those who have helped me in creating these stories.

-Kismet Website