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If DNA surprises were carnival rides, they’d be roller coasters. There are years spent leading up to the test results- the slow climb. The shocking results - the drop. And from there, we find ourselves on twists, turns and loops. We can’t always see where the drops are coming up ahead. In this week’s episode, Myranda shares how she uncovered the truth about who her biological father is. Her story is one of complicated family dynamics, both with her raised family and her newfound family - and highlights the ups and downs that came with her discovery.  Thank you for sharing your story, Myranda.  Support the show.

So much of our identity is wrapped up in the stories we tell ourselves. How we came to be, who our parents are, who our grandparents are. What they did how how they lived. For adoptees, many of those details are a mystery. In this week’s episode, Barry shares how he discovered his father’s incredible story after taking a DNA test. He reveals how learning more about his father created a powerful connection. Barry also reveals where things stand with - and what he has learned about - his biological mother. Through it all, he remains focused on his purpose, one that he found by connecting with his father. Thank you for sharing your story, Barry. For more information about Barry's work, see: https://www.addictionedufoundation.orghttps://veteransoberhouse.org/ Support the show.

Hosting DNA Surprises gives me the incredible opportunity to speak to incredible people every week. And almost everyone I speak to says something along the lines of “I’ve been told to write a book!” It’s true - our stories are stranger than fiction. In this week's episode, I’m joined by someone who wrote that book. Kimberly Warner, author of Unfixed: A Memoir of Family, Mystery, and the Currents That Carry You Home  Her story details her perfect from the outside but far from it on the inside family, loss, illness, relationships, careers, and more, but as we discuss, it’s anchored on the revelation that the man who raised her is not her biological father. I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too. Thank you for sharing your story, Kimberly. Get your copy of Unfixed Support the show.

Welcome to Season 13 of DNA Surprises. We’re kicking off this season with a story that asks the question, what do you do when you learn that not one, but both of your parents are not related to you? A child of Russian immigrants, Maria shares her late-discovery adoptee experience, which includes a shocking ethnicity shift. During our conversation, Maria details how she uncovered the truth and she explores how her discovery has shaped her view of cultural belonging. She also shares how her discovery has affirmed the choices she made with her own child. Thank you for sharing your story, Maria. Support the show.

DNA surprises often lead to answers - the truth about parentage, insights into family dynamics, clarity about the past. Still, as I often say, they also leave us with questions. Questions that may never be answered. But what if something as simple as a birthdate was unknown to you, possibly forever?  Welcome to the season 12 finale of DNA Surprises. In this week’s episode, I’m joined by James, a foundling adoptee who was abandoned in a church in the 1970s. James always knew he was adopted, although he didn’t learn the circumstances until he was an adult. Then, with the combined power of research, DNA testing, and a little luck, he learned much more about where - and who - he came from.  We’ll be back in 2026 with brand new DNA surprise stories. But before I sign off, I want to thank you for listening. DNA surprises recently crossed 1 million downloads, something I never imagined when I started this podcast nearly four years ago. Thank you for your reviews, Patreon support, emails, and messages. It means so much. But most importantly, thank you for listening. Support the show.

What happens after you take a DNA test? After you make contact with newfound family? After you write that letter, or email, or hit send on a text? You wait. And wait, and wait.  In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Devon, who spent almost the entirety of her 70 plus years…waiting. From being raised by an aunt to life with her mother and a man whom she never felt biologically related to, Devon shares the decades-long journey she went on before discovering the truth, and making a shocking discovery…about her biological father - and her mother.  Thank you for sharing your story, Devon. Follow Devon’s journey on Youtube. Support the show.

You can’t unring a bell. After a DNA surprise is uncovered, after contact is made with newfound relatives, what’s done is done. Which is why some people are hesitant to dig into the truth. You never know what’s waiting for you on the other side. In this week’s episode, Jeremy shares why he didn’t decide to take his test to confirm the identity of his biological father until his daughters Googled his family. After a tumultuous childhood fraught with instability and abuse, he couldn’t bear the thought of rejection. Jeremy also reveals what happens when he finally decided to take that test and make contact with his paternal family.  Thank you for sharing your story, Jeremy. Support the show.

"It’s a scam!" That’s what some family members say after a DNA surprise is uncovered. "Those tests aren’t accurate." Or, if a long-lost relative reaches out, they’re surely after money. If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you know that’s not true, but it’s a common  response. In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Melissa and Dan, who were both advised to be wary of each other after they connected. Dan was adopted as an infant, and after taking a test to find his biological parents, he found his sister, Melissa.  They share what those first conversations were like and how they’ve forged a special bond in the short time they’ve known each other.  Thank you for sharing your story, Dan and Melissa. Support the show

DNA surprises by their very nature change the lens through which we view family. Our raise families, our newfound families. Things that seemed normal become less so. With hindsight, we gain clarity on what was there all along. In this week’s episode, Angeline shares how her daughter’s desire to take a DNA test fundamentally altered her understanding of her family dynamics. She shares what’s helped her navigate this experience, and how she balances living her truth and hiding it. Thank you for sharing your story, Angeline. Support the show.

At the end of every episode, I ask my guests two questions. The first question is advice for parents who may be keeping a DNA surprise from their children. Most of the time, like 99% of the time, the advice is to tell. To tell because people have the right to know. To tell because trust in your parents is important. To tell because eventually, maybe generations down the line, the truth will come out. In this week’s episode, Oscar shares his story of what happens when the child of an NPE uncovers a DNA surprise. He shares why struggled with telling his mom, what he learned about his family, and where things stand today.  Thank you for sharing your story, Oscar. Support the show.

Dad. Bio dad. Genetic father. Father. After people connect with their newfound biological fathers, they often struggle with what to call them. And what about the dads we grew up with? Raised dad. Step-dad. Birth-certificate dad. Then there’s the well-meaning but perpetually frustrating phrase, “your dad is still your dad.” Love that one. Many of us do continue calling the dads we grew up with dad. But what if your relationship with your raised father is traumatic? What if you were always distant, and there’s no real love lost after uncovering a DNA surprise? In this week’s episode, Luisa shares a name I hadn’t heard yet on the show - Fake Dad. She shares how she uncovered her DNA surprise and the impact that it had on her relationship with her parents, as well as the biological father she was able to identify. He’s called “New Dad,” by the way. A quick warning before this episode begins - there is mention of childhood sexual abuse during our conversation. Thank you for sharing your story, Luisa. Support the show.

The truth will set you free. That’s the hope, right? In this week’s episode, Joe shares how taking a test for fun led to him uncovering the truth about his paternity, which relieved him of the guilt and burden of maintaining a relationship with his birth certificate father. He also discusses how he’s connected with newfound family and what it means to him. Thank you for sharing your story, Joe. Support the show.

Much like life, DNA surprises are rarely tied up in a perfect bow. We don’t get answers to all of the questions we have, and it’s up to us to make peace with that…or keep digging. In this week’s episode, Angie shares how she uncovered that she has a different biological father than her four sisters. She details her effort to find the truth when most of the people with answers have passed, and how she’s navigating that uncertainty. Thank you for sharing your story, Angie. Support the show.

Welcome to season 12 of DNA Surprises. This season marks nearly four years of sharing these stories. And while each story is unique, the threads that tie our stories together remain strong. For example, there are many ways that people uncover their discoveries. Sometimes, people learn about their parentage through who they connect to - a new cousin, an aunt, a parent. Others are more shocked by who they don’t connect to. In this week’s episode Michelli reveals how she learned that the man she believed was her father was not genetically related to her at all. She shares what she learned about her biological father and why her feelings about him are complicated, how she connected with her sisters, and why she doesn’t want to hear any additional stories about what happened. Thank you for sharing your story, Michelli. Support the show.

Who would I have been if I’d known the truth about my identity? This is a question people in the DNA surprise community often ask themselves. Where would I have lived? What choices would I have made? What about my life would be different from how it is today? In the season 11 finale of DNA Surprises, Lori shares how much of her childhood, and who she is today, was shaped by her parents’ efforts to keep her donor conception and the truth about her ethnicity a secret. If you have a DNA surprise that you’d like to share, please submit your story at dnasurprises.com. If you’d like to support the show, please rate and review the podcast on Apple and Spotify - it really helps! We’re taking a short break for the summer, but we’ll be back soon with new DNA surprise stories. Thank you for listening. Support the show.