A Moment in Time – May 8, 2020
Born in San Diego, Denise Defoe has lived in Maryland for most of her life. She is a licensed social worker with concentration in hospice care. In this space, she provides psychosocial support and bereavement care to terminally ill patients and their families.
Denise obtained her Bachelors of Social Work degree from Oakwood University in 2003. Her Oakwood experience was enhanced by exemplary professors who provided outstanding leadership, guidance, support, and mentorship. Because these professors were invested in the emotional, professional, and spiritual success of their students, Denise was equipped to realize her full potential and have a positive impact on the population she serves.. After college, Denise matriculated at the University of Alabama under the prestigious, full ride, Daniel Scholarship and earned her Masters Degree in Social Work. It was through their Advanced Standing Program that she realized her passion in aging and gerontology. She uses the skills she learned to empower her patients to live a fulfilling life while creating lasting memories.
Her crowning achievement to date has been the completion and release of her autobiography They Chose Me: An Adoption Story released in June 2019. This book chronicles her journey as an adoptee. The readers are taken on a decades-long odyssey filled with a variety of emotions stemming from her sense of abandonment. From grief, anger, and resentment, Denise was able come to a place of acceptance, forgiveness, and peace. She is now able to speak about this journey and serve as a consultant and advocate for adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents. Sharing her story has empowered others to stand strong within their own story.
Her greatest personal joy and fulfillment come from her life as a wife and mother. She is married to Dr. David I. Defoe and together they are the proud parents of their daughter Dayna Imara.
Buy on amazon:They Chose Me: An Adoption Story https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578513366/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZpkOEb8VD9PNS