DNA Surprises

***SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: DNA Surprises will be taking a short summer break during July and August. I’m excited to come back in September refreshed, recharged, and with more stories from the NPE, adoptee, and donor conceived communities.

Thank you for listening, sharing, and helping make this community what it is. Have a wonderful summer, and we’ll see you in September!****

DNA surprises take time. Time to for the secrets to be kept. Time for them to be uncovered. Time to connect with newfound family members. So much of this experience is a waiting game
In the season 14 finale of DNA surprises, Brytanie shares how her difficult upbringing made feeling like an outsider in family seem normal. She never felt like she belonged, so she never suspected that the man she believed was her biological father, wasn’t. It wasn’t until a DNA test, and later, a seemingly harmless comment, revealed the truth.
Thank you for sharing your story, Brytanie.
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Sometimes, DNA surprises aren’t about misattributed parentage. Sometimes, the biggest surprises are the feelings we experience as we explore biological connections.
In this week’s episode, Tracy shares how she always knew was adopted, and always knew that she wanted to find her biological parents. Much to her surprise, after she reunited with both of them, she uncovered complicated feelings around boundaries and what she expected from her relationships. Overall, Tracy’s experience is one of acceptance - of her life and family.
Thank you for sharing your story, Tracy.
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The more, the merrier. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone involved in a DNA surprise had this mentality? While that’s unfortunately not always the case, this week’s guest has had an incredible time connecting with the family he discovered after taking a DNA test.
Nick shares why growing up, learning about his paternal side never really factored into his thinking, and how a DNA test changed everything.
Thank you for sharing your story, Nick.
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Words have power. Language is how we make meaning of the things we’ve experienced. For some, having language around DNA surprises, adoption, and donor conception helps people feel less alone.
And others take it even further, using the power of language to write about their experience. In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Linda Pevac, also known by her pen name, Emma Stevens. Linda has penned three books about her life as a baby scoop era adoptee.
We discuss her DNA surprise journey and why writing has been a powerful tool in sharing her story.
Thank you for sharing your story, Linda.
https://emmastevenswriter.com/books/
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After a DNA surprise, it’s common to look back and reflect on moments where the truth was right there in front of you. A slip of the tongue, that eerie feeling that something just wasn’t right. But you don’t know it until you know it.
In this week’s episode, Billy shares how he brushed up against the truth years before he learned the truth about his paternity. He shared what he’s learned, what relationships he’s built, and how his DNA surprise gave him an even stronger appreciation for his dad.
Thank you for sharing your story, Billy.
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