Episodes – Page 7 – DNA Surprises

Dori’s DNA Surprise

NPEs, DCPs, and adoptees aren’t the only people who experience DNA Surprises. Found family has them, too. This week, Dori shared her surprise at being contacted by a sibling she never knew existed. Dori also shares her experience growing up with family secrets, especially her life being raised by a lesbian couple. I’m excited to release this episode during Pride month because it demonstrates how far we’ve come in destigmatizing LGBTQI families. I look forward to the day when we see families for what they are – families, each with as much nuance as anyone else’s.

June 21, 2022

Linda’s DNA Surprise

Some DNA surprise stories are harder to unravel than others. When Linda found out about her NPE, she was nearly 60 years old and both her mother and birth certificate father had passed. In this week’s episode, Linda shares how she was able to track down the identity of her biological father despite genealogical challenges such as endogamy, (the custom of marrying only within the limits of a local community, clan, or tribe).

June 14, 2022

Mark’s DNA Surprise

When Mark received a call from who he believed was a new-found half-sibling, he wasn’t surprised. Little did he know that this revelation would lead him to his own NPE journey. In this week’s episode, Mark shares how he uncovered his truth, how he connected with his family, and how he finds peace with his mother, who died before he could speak to her about his DNA surprise. He also offers valuable advice to parents and NPEs, particularly to men.

June 7, 2022

Kara’s DNA Surprise

In this week’s episode, Kara shares her donor conceived journey. Kara’s parents told her and her twin sister that they were conceived with a donor egg when they were 10 years old. The family never really spoke about it again. Kara shares how she connected with her bio mom, how she feels about donor conception, and what steps would make donor conception more ethical today.

May 31, 2022

Michael Paul’s DNA Surprise

Michael Paul always felt different from his family. He was treated differently than his two younger brothers and went through multiple periods of estrangement from his raised parents. In this week’s episode, he shares how he finally learned the truth through a consumer DNA testing kit. He tells us how he connected with his biological dad and why he made the difficult decision to ultimately go no contact with his raised family.

May 24, 2022

Charlotte’s DNA Surprise

In this week’s episode, Charlotte shares her journey as both an adoptee and NPE. Charlotte always knew she was adopted. Her parents were always open with her and she never wanted to seek out her birth parents. After taking a 23&Me test to learn her health history, she was surprised to realize that it also connected her with DNA matches. She shares how she found her birth parents, how this process affected her relationship with her raised parents, and what she’s learned about her family and herself throughout this process.

May 17, 2022