Layla’s DNA Surprise
Layla always knew that she was adopted by family. She also knew both of her birth parents, or so she thought. In this week’s episode, Layla shares how she discovered she is an NPE and what she had to do to identify her biological father. Layla also discusses the many nuances of discovering a new ethnicity.
Annie’s DNA Surprise
Have you ever wondered about the first NPEs who found out through commercial DNA tests? In this week’s episode, Annie shares how she began her journey a decade ago. She shares how she figured out who her father is and how she has made connections with her found family. She also offers her perspective on her mother’s choice.
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).
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.
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.
Cara’s DNA Surprise
In this week’s episode, Cara shares an NPE story with lots of twists and turns. She tells us how she found out about her NPE and the journey to finding her biological father. She also shares how her new relationships are forming and how this process has affected her relationship with her BCF (birth certificate father) and mother.
Gretchen’s DNA Surprise
Before her DNA surprise, Gretchen believed she was the youngest of 3 children. It turns out that Gretchen’s biological father had two children before her – he had a daughter, Barbara, in his first marriage. Then he had her brother, Jimmy, in his second marriage. He abandoned both families and had an affair with Gretchen’s mother, which is how Gretchen came to be. After his relationship with Gretchen’s mom ended, Gretchen’s mother returned to her birth certificate father while pregnant with her. Gretchen’s father remarried and had two more children. He is still with his third wife today. While all of the children involved know about each other, his third wife does not. Gretchen and her two older siblings remain secrets. Gretchen’s story is painful and complicated. She speaks about how she always felt different and how she feels knowing the truth.
Alexis’ DNA Surprise
Welcome to the season 1 finale of DNA Surprises. In this week’s episode, I am going to share my story. In July, I found out that I am an NPE. I was completely blindsided by not only that discovery but a massive shift in racial identity. I’m going to discuss what my discovery was like and how I’ve processed what happened. I’ll also talk about what has helped me heal so far.
Rose’s DNA Surprise
While a DNA surprise can be a painful and traumatic experience, some NPEs are able to find a silver lining through beautiful new relationships. In this week’s episode Rose shares her journey from feeling disconnected from her raised family to establishing a connection with her biological father.
Jessica’s DNA Surprise
In this week’s episode, Jessica shares how her NPE discovery unfolded. She discusses how it’s affected her relationship with her raised family and how she is trying to learn about her biological father, a man she was aware of while growing up. One of the things that struck me most about Jessica’s story is how much it reflects the effects COVID 19 on DNA surprises. From delayed opportunities to connect with family to deaths preventing NPEs from getting the answers they so badly want, the pandemic has changed the trajectory of many journeys.