DNA Surprises – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the Season 8 finale of DNA Surprises. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Deanna, who shares her NPE story. Deanna has experienced unspeakable amounts of hardship in her life, from abandonment to abuse to her DNA discovery. 
Her story is difficult - and powerful. You’ll hear how she’s still reckoning with the what-might-have-beens and the whys. You’ll also learn how she’s moving forward, including being the person she needed when she was younger. 

Thank you for sharing your story, Deanna.

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Every DNA Surprise is unique—the who, what, when, and why surrounding an NPE vary from person to person. Still, after nearly 100 interviews, I’ve noticed consistent themes in these stories. One of those themes is a complicated mother-child relationship. 

When Jennifer took her DNA test, she had no idea that her family tree would change forever. As it turns out, both her mother and grandmother had relationships with the same man, making Jennifer’s aunts also her sisters, and her cousins also her nieces and nephews. To add some clarity here, this man is not Jennifer’s grandfather - he is a man that her grandmother had an affair with, resulting in two of her aunts. She discusses how she’s faced the shame and stigma of this complicated story, and how she’s navigated her relationship with her mother.

Jennifer and I spend quite a bit of time talking about the mother-daughter dynamic, and how she was able to radically accept their relationship for what it is - not what she wants it to be. If you’re currently struggling with this part of your story, I hope this conversation helps you.

Thank you to Jennifer for so openly sharing her feelings on this, as well as her story.

Resources:

• Contact: 00jharris@gmail.com

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Did you grow up feeling different from your family? That feeling of being inexplicably out of place haunts many people in the DNA surprise community throughout childhood and adulthood - before they uncover the truth.

In this week’s episode, Sarah shares how while she always felt different from her family - she was more sensitive and had a different worldview. Still, she never suspected that her beloved father wasn’t biologically related to her. After his unexpected and tragic passing, Sarah and her sister decided to take 23andMe tests, beginning her shocking DNA surprise journey.

She reflects on how this discovery has further strained her relationship with her mother, but has yielded an incredible relationship with her newfound sister.
Thank you for sharing your story, Sarah.

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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.

Thank you for listening to my story.

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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.
Thanks to Rose for sharing her story.

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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.
Thanks to Jessica for sharing her story.

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In this week’s episode, Lisa reveals how her DNA test uncovered not one, not two, but three NPEs in her family. She shares how her NPE status affected her childhood before she even knew it. Lisa also shares the positive aspects of connecting with her newfound family.

Thanks to Lisa for sharing her story. 

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In this episode, Kristin shares her NPE journey after discovering the truth just four months prior to our conversation. She was completely blindsided by the discovery and shares her shock and confusion over what to do next.
She also discusses the new family connections she's made so far while expressing some concern about her raised father's feelings.
Thanks to Kristin for sharing her story.

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Whitney's mom told her the truth about her biological father long before she took a DNA test. She learned the truth at 14, 6 years after the tragic loss of the man she believed was her father.
In this episode, Whitney shares the long and winding road to connect to her biological father. She offers a compassionate view on the choices the adults in her life made and how those choices affected her.
Thank you to Whitney for sharing her story.

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Michael had been told he didn't look related to his family his entire life, so when his sisters asked him to take a DNA test for fun, he knew the truth was going to be revealed.
In this episode, Michael shares his quest for answers despite both of his biological parents having Alzheimer's. He is also candid about his struggles with mental health in general and in light of his discovery.
Thanks to Michael for sharing his story.

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