Liberty Lost: Episode "I Wish I May | 3" Summary

Release Date: June 26, 2025

Host: T. J. Raphael

Introduction

In the third episode of Liberty Lost, titled "I Wish I May," host T. J. Raphael delves deeper into the harrowing experiences of young women confined within the Liberty Godparent Home. This episode primarily focuses on the intertwining lives of Abby and Nathan, their relentless struggle against the oppressive system, and the broader implications of the resurgence of maternity homes in post-Roe America.

Abby and Nathan’s Struggle for Connection

The episode opens with Nathan's desperate journey to reconnect with his pregnant girlfriend, Abby, who has been secluded at the Liberty Godparent Home.

• Abby’s Early Pregnancy:

  • [00:06] Abby: "Abby was very late into her pregnancy before I even found out that she was in Virginia."

• Nathan’s Determination:

  • [00:12] Nathan: Drives over 200 miles to Lynchburg, haunted by a phone call urging him to sign adoption papers.

• Attempts to Communicate:

  • [00:39-02:14] Abby expresses her resistance: "This is not what Abby wants. Like, this is not what I want."
  • Nathan persistently attempts to reach Abby, even resorting to standing outside the facility in hopes of a breakthrough.

Life Inside the Liberty Godparent Home

The home presents a facade of care but reveals an underlying agenda to enforce adoptions.

• Initial Impressions:

  • [00:56] Nathan: Describes the home as a clean two-story brick building, masking the bleak reality inside.
  • [01:15] Abby: "They showed me their super dated and horrific looking lounge area."

• Restricted Access:

  • [01:22-02:02] Staff conceals the pregnant girls, providing Nathan with misleading tours and excuses to prevent him from seeing Abby.

• Forced Worship and Humiliation:

  • [04:21-08:47] Pregnant girls are paraded in mega-church services hosted by the legacy of Jerry Falwell, aiming to shame and pressure them into adoption.
    • [07:03] Jerry Falwell: "A child is worth it."
    • [08:47] Abby’s Reflection: "We were told a lot that adoption was a beautiful gift."

Stories of Other Mothers: Sarah, Toni, and Zoe

The episode introduces other young women navigating the oppressive environment of the home.

• Sarah P.’s Journey:

  • [09:10-11:05] Enters the home under tragic circumstances, seeking anonymity and support.
  • [12:09] Sarah P.: Praises her counselor, Debbie M., for genuine care.

• Toni’s Resistance:

  • [12:27-38:35] Firmly decides to keep her baby, facing relentless pressure from staff and her mother.
    • [13:19] Toni: Describes being constantly pushed towards adoption.
    • [37:39] Toni’s Grandma Rosie: Offers unwavering support, contrasting her mother’s stance.

• Zoe’s Dilemma:

  • [33:01-44:32] Struggles with the lack of suitable adoptive families and the systemic biases within the adoption agency.
    • [36:17] Zoe: Criticizes the dehumanizing process of selecting adoptive parents from scrapbooks.
    • [35:08] Highlights racial biases in adoptive placements.

Nathan’s Plan to Support Abby

Realizing that Abby needs more substantial support, Nathan devises a plan to prove his capability to care for Abby and their child.

• Proactive Measures:

  • [15:54-17:32] Nathan secures a raise, finds an apartment, buys baby supplies, and prepares financially to support Abby.
    • [16:38] Nathan: "I bought the car and didn't even title it because I didn't know if I needed to property it in her name or mine."

• Confrontation with Debbie M.:

  • [16:52-19:55] Nathan presents his readiness to Abby’s counselor, hoping to change the administration’s stance on Abby’s status.

The Adoption Process and Psychological Manipulation

The home employs psychological tactics to coerce the girls into relinquishing their parental rights.

• Adoption Agency Protocols:

  • [34:04-35:08] Detailed depiction of adoption scrapbooks emphasizing Christian values, often ignoring racial diversity.
    • [35:08] Zoe: Highlights the racial limitations in adoptive families.

• Emotional Manipulation:

  • [19:36-24:07] Debbie M. uses fear-based narratives to persuade Abby and Nathan to consent to adoption.
    • [19:55] Debbie M.: "Statistically, this is the percentage of chance that you are going to be in jail."

Catalyst for Change: Carrie’s Influence

A beacon of hope emerges when Carrie, an empathetic adoptive mother, offers a different perspective on the adoption process.

• Carrie’s Approach:

  • [27:09-28:29] Advocates for open adoption, emphasizing the best interests of the child and birth mother’s autonomy.
    • [27:26] Carrie: "They were not forcing any person to place or to parent, but with support and education."

• Abby’s Connection:

  • [28:17-30:22] Abby and Nathan find solace in Carrie’s genuine support, rekindling their hope to keep their child.

Climactic Meeting and Heartbreaking Decisions

The episode builds to a poignant meeting where Abby is pressured into finalizing the adoption despite her resolve to keep her baby.

• The Critical Meeting:

  • [21:25-23:26] Abby meets with Nathan and his parents, who present an unsolicited offer to help her keep the baby, complicating her emotional state.
    • [22:34] Abby feels the weight of being forced into a choice reminiscent of a marriage proposal: "It's just like a marriage proposal."

• Final Relinquishment:

  • [25:10-25:54] Pressured by her parents and the home, Abby signs the adoption papers, relinquishing her rights without truly feeling empowered.
    • [25:54] Abby: "I stayed up all night practicing his signature so I wouldn't look like a kid."

Conclusion and Cliffhanger

As Abby faces the impending birth and the reality of the adoption process, the episode concludes with an air of uncertainty and impending separation.

• Emotional Fallout:

  • [32:43-33:01] Abby confronts her parents about her divine calling to keep the baby, only to face rejection and coercion.
    • [33:01] Nathan: "Now there was only one choice. Picking a new family for her son."

• Ongoing Isolation:

  • [43:23-44:29] The final moments highlight the loneliness and fear engulfing the remaining girls as they await their fate.
    • [44:13] Zoe: "Once you go on the other side, you don't know what happens on the other side."

The episode sets the stage for further exploration of Abby’s journey and the systemic forces at play within the Liberty Godparent Home.

Notable Quotes

• Abby on Resistance:

  • [00:39] "This is not what Abby wants. Like, this is not what I want."

• Jerry Falwell’s Advocacy:

  • [07:03] "A child is worth it."

• Carrie’s Philosophical View:

  • [27:35] "We view the baby that the Lord brings into our family as ours. The birth parents and the adoptive parents."

• Abby’s Desperation:

  • [24:29] "I was waiting for what, when and where the Hail Mary was going to occur."

Themes and Insights

• Religious Coercion: The intertwining of faith and forced adoption practices to control and redirect the lives of pregnant teenagers.

• Autonomy vs. Manipulation: The struggle of young women like Abby, Toni, and Zoe to assert their rights against a backdrop of psychological manipulation and societal pressures.

• Systemic Bias: Highlighting racial disparities within adoption agencies and the preferential treatment of certain demographics.

• Hope Amidst Despair: The introduction of compassionate figures like Carrie underscores the persistent hope for better support systems and genuine empathy.

Looking Ahead

The episode concludes with unresolved tensions and the looming uncertainty of what lies ahead for Abby and her peers. The next installment promises to unravel the consequences of the forced adoption process and the resilience of those fighting against it.

Note: This summary omits advertisements, introductory remarks, and production credits to focus solely on the episode's core content and narratives.