Russo, who now lives in Colorado, is the co-founder of
Linked Thru Love, an advocacy group "for changing stigmas and stereotypes for birthmothers and adoption."
She was 19 years old, single and destitute in Milwaukee when she gave birth to Kaepernick in 1987. She gave him up for adoption.
His birth father is African American and left Russo — who is white — before their son was born.
She gave him up for adoption — and he was taken in by a white couple, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, who had two children.
He was raised in Wisconsin and attended grade school in California.