Who is Heidi Russo? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Age: 55 Years, 55 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Heath Russo

father: James Zabransky

mother: Phyllis

children: Alex Russo, Colin Kaepernick, Ethan Russo, Michael Russo

Born Country: United States

Family Members American Women

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Early Life

Heidi Russo was born in 1969 in the United States of America, to Phyllis and James Zabransky. As a teenager, she was into a relationship with an African-American man who abandoned her when he realized that she was pregnant with his child. She gave birth to her son Colin on November 3, 1987, when she was just 19 years old. Though her parents promised to support her, she choose not to raise her son as she was convinced that she would not be able to provide him with the kind of life she would want for him. Hence, she gave him up for adoption to Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. Though Rick and Teresa had two children, they decided to adopt Colin as they had lost two other children to heart defects. Even after giving Colin up for adoption, Heidi was in contact with his foster parents who kept sending her Colin's pictures until he turned seven when they lost contact with each other. Colin Kaepernick grew up to become a football quarterback.

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Rise to Fame

Heidi started hogging the limelight when she tried contacting Colin�Kaepernick after he had become famous. However, Colin stayed away from his biological mother as he felt reuniting with her would be an act of betrayal to his loving foster parents. Nevertheless, Heidi continues to make efforts to reunite with her biological son. She has also said that she regrets giving him up for adoption but believes that she made the right decision. She even messages him often through social media platforms, such as Twitter.

Heidi Russo made headlines in 2016 when she criticized Colin for a controversy during one of his games. In order to protest against police brutality, Colin had decided to remain seated when the national anthem was being played before the start of a game. His decision irked his biological mother who took to her Twitter page to rebuke him. She said that Colin could have found other ways to protest and that disrespecting the national anthem is not the right option. She also asked him to be smarter while dealing with sensitive issues in the future. While some of her followers supported her, many criticized her for rebuking Colin on a public platform.

Family & Personal Life

Heidi Russo joined hands with Jami Marcantonio to set up with an advocacy group called ‘Linked Thru Love.’ The group aims at ending stereotypes associated with birthmothers. The group also aims at making people understand the concept of adoption. She has also launched a non-profit organization called ‘Three Strands,’ which extends support to biological mothers. Heidi is also a certified nurse and is quite successful in her career. She is currently married to Heath Russo with whom she has three children, namely Michael, Ethan, and Alex. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, US, along with her husband and three children.

Heidi Russo Biography