NPE Stories

Rebecca grew up without the steady presence of a father, carrying unanswered questions into adulthood. When a DNA test opened unexpected doors, she discovered family connections that had been close b…

We kick off Season 7 with a warm welcome to new listeners and a bit of housekeeping before diving into this week’s story.

Our guest, Liz, grew up surrounded by confusion—her various IDs and birth cert…

In this powerful Season 6 finale, author J. Steven Osborne shares his remarkable DNA surprise journey—from a casual ancestry test to discovering he was not biologically related to the father he adore…

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Deb recounts a sad childhood with abuse and multiple years in foster care. After fin…

Rashanda opens up about growing up without a mom or dad and the emotional toll of navigating life without a traditional family structure. From childhood instability to finding her own voice, her stor…

Raised in a devout Catholic family, Annette grew up believing her father had died before she was born. Decades later, a series of emotional discoveries unraveled everything she thought she knew about…

In Episode 216, Melanie recounts the emotional journey of reconnecting with the father who raised her, only to lose him and then learn he wasn’t her biological dad. Her story unfolds with raw honesty…

Devorah Lee, author of Taken from the Cradle, shares her journey of discovering she was a late-discovery adoptee (LDA) from a Jacksonville, FL, black market baby ring. She opens up about the shock, s…

Lauren returns to the podcast five years after first sharing her story in Season 1, hoping others can learn from her journey as she reflects on what has unfolded since.

Lauren can be reached via email…

Episode 213: Challenging Medical Guidelines on Misattributed Paternity

In this special episode, host Richard Wenzel leads a compelling discussion with fellow NPEs Gina Daniel, Jodi Girard, Lily Wood, …

Amy S's story is a journey of identity, family deception, and self-discovery. A DNA test revealed her biological father was not the man she adored but someone from her father’s social circle, shatter…

Jennifer is a first generation Colombian-American who describes her family as warm, loving, and hard-working. She had the shock of her life when her DNA results showed one of her best friends was act…

Julie S is the result of a wife-swapping situation that turned into a love affair. She was conceived with intention, but no one was ever planning to tell Julie the truth about her biological father. 

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Bill grew up looking different than his brothers and was often asked if he was Italian or Spanish. Although he never suspected it as a child, turns out his DNA results show good reason for this line …

Robin was never told who her father was, only that he was in the airline industry with her mother. As she came of age, Robin started searching and writing to who she believed her father to be, even t…

David started to question who his birth father was many years ago, and was never given a straight answer. He even went as far as getting his birth records unsealed and was still unsuccessful until he…

Growing up Heather was always given the confusing narrative that her dad didn’t want her. She recently changed her last name to her proper surname, after finding and establishing a relationship with …

Gina's (Gigi’s) parents were beloved and she didn’t understand a lot of her parents' behavior until later in life. Many secrets were kept by her family members and the DNA Angels were able to help he…

Stella had to deal with her NPE revelation and a horrible death all while trying to keep it a secret from her biological father. Four years later Stella shares where she is currently at in her NPE st…

Content Warning: This episode contains accounts of child abuse and violence.

Caroline was essentially an orphan at a young age and always felt ostracized by her sisters. Many of her family members kne…