DNA Surprises
Episodes
Christa's DNA Surprise
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 5 of DNA Surprises. In the first episode of the season, Christa shares her NPE story. Christa always knew that something wasn’t q...
Bonus Episode: What's Next? An Interview with Life Coach Debbie Olson
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA Surprises! Today I am joined by my good friend and co-founder of the DNA Surprise Retreat, Debbie Olson. Debbie is...
Sam's DNA Surprise
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the season 4 finale of DNA Surprises. One of the things I’ve observed throughout my conversations within this community is that NPEs of...
Bonus Episode: Write to Heal - An interview with author and writing coach Christine Wolf
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA Surprises. Christine Wolf is a Chicago-based author and writing coach whose focus is on memoir and biography. Her ...
Angie's DNA Surprise
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes DNA surprises lead to flourishing relationships with newfound family, but sometimes they do not. In this week’s episode, Angie shares how ...
Bonus Episode: Let it RAIN - An interview with RN & Integrative Health Coach Lindsay Johnson
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA surprises. In this episode, I’m joined by Lindsay Johnson, a registered nurse, board-certified nurse coach, and i...
Stacy W's DNA Surprise
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
DNA surprises can cause major disruptions to our interpersonal relationships, particularly the bonds we have with our raised parents. But often what m...
Aly’s DNA Surprise
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When people experience DNA surprises, the range of emotions they feel can be wide. There’s sadness. There’s confusion. There’s happiness, someti...
Bonus Episode: DNA Surprises & Grief - An interview with grief specialist Jennica Klemann
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA surprises. In this episode, I’m joined by Jennica Klemann, an Advanced Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and A...
Kim M's DNA Surprise
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes DNA surprises aren’t surprising at all, but validating. In this week’s episode, Kim shares how she learned that after feeling differen...
Scarlett's DNA Surprise
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oftentimes in the DNA surprise community, one NPE leads to another. In this week’s episode, Scarlett shares how she learned she was an NPE, only to ...
Debra's DNA Surprise
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things people in the DNA surprise community contend with is that we’ll never have all of the answers to our questions. In this week’s e...
Bonus Episode: Radical Acceptance - An interview with therapist Jennifer Spencer
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special bonus episode of DNA Surprises, I’m joined by Jennifer Spencer, who is facilitating a session on Radical Acceptance at the DNA...
Laurie's DNA Surprise
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
DNA surprises often shake the very core of what we believe our identities to be. In this week’s episode, Laurie shares how she went from believing s...
Phil's DNA Surprise
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s story tells not one, but two, shocking DNA discoveries. Growing up, Phil believed that the parents who raised him were his biological pa...
Shannon’s DNA Surprise
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How would you feel if you learned that your biological father was a constant presence in your life, despite being raised under the belief that another...
Bonus Episode: Big T, Little t - An interview with trauma therapist Megan Irwin
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special bonus episode of DNA Surprises, I’m joined by Megan Irwin, who will be facilitating a session on Trauma at the DNA Surprise Re...
Robin's DNA Surprise
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every DNA surprise is unique and layered, and this is especially true for those who have major shifts in ethnicity. In this week’s episode, Robin sh...
Natalie's DNA Surprise
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 4 of DNA Surprises. In our first episode of the season, Natalie shares her NPE story. When Natalie experienced her surprise, she had...
Kiara's DNA Surprise
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the Season 3 finale of DNA surprises. In this week’s episode, Kiara Rae Schuh shares her journey as she connected with her fellow donor-c...
Stacy's DNA Surprise
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
DNA surprises are often uncovered after innocent intentions. When Stacy’s daughter decided to take a DNA test to learn more about her father’s sid...
Guy's DNA Surprise
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Not every DNA surprise is filled with trauma and upset. In this week’s episode, Guy joins me for a delightful conversation about his NPE discovery. ...
Karen's DNA Surprise
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of DNA Surprises, Karen shares what’s happened since she last shared her DNA surprise story. You can hear the first part of...
Bonnie's DNA Surprise
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
DNA surprises are often bittersweet. The results we receive via consumer DNA testing can lead to upset and confusion, but they also can answer long-he...
Kim's DNA Surprise
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things we talk about often within the DNA Surprise community is the ripple effect. Surprises don't only affect NPEs, donor-conceived pe...
Bonus Episode - Interview with Right to Know
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA Surprises! I had the privilege of speaking with Kara and Alesia from Right to Know about all of the amazing work t...
Shardae's DNA Surprise
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The DNA Surprise community is very familiar with shame and stigma. this week’s episode tackles a taboo subject. Shardae took her DNA test for the sa...
Debbie's DNA Surprise (+ A Special Announcement!)
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
DNA Surprises aren’t limited to NPEs. In this week’s episode, Debbie shares how she always knew she was adopted, and later learned her biological ...
Bianca’s DNA Surprise
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NPEs come from all backgrounds, but all too often, the stories we hear involve childhood abuse. In this week’s episode, Bianca shares her difficult ...
Hayley's DNA Surprise
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most interesting things about the DNA surprise community is how much intersection there is between adoptees, donor-conceived people, and NP...
Devin's DNA Surprise
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes DNA surprises reveal that bio fathers are people known to the NPE, however unexpected. In this week's episode, Devin shares how a DNA te...
Ashley’s DNA Surprise
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 3 of DNA Surprises. In the season premier, Ashley shares her double NPE journey. First, a content warning: due to the circumstance...
Jennifer’s DNA Surprise
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the season 2 finale of DNA Surprises. In this week’s episode, Jennifer shares her NPE story. While she was never close to her birth certi...
Kristin H's DNA Surprise
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kristin had no idea her NPE was coming, let alone the secrets she’d uncover because of her DNA surprise. Not only did she discover that she is an NP...
Bonus Episode - Crossover with Everything's Relative with Eve Sturges
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a bonus episode of DNA Surprises, a crossover with Everything’s Relative with Eve Sturges! In this episode, we chat about our own NPE sto...
Layla's DNA Surprise
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Annie’s DNA Surprise
28 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 journ...
Dori’s DNA Surprise
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NPEs, DCPs, and adoptees aren’t the only people who experience DNA Surprises. Found family has them, too. This week, Dori shared her surprise at bei...
Linda's DNA Surprise
14 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
Mark's DNA Surprise
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 le...
Kara’s DNA Surprise
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, Kara shares her donor conceived journey. Kara’s parents told her and her twin sister that they were conceived with a donor...
Michael Paul’s DNA Surprise
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Paul always felt different from his family. He was treated differently than his two younger brothers and went through multiple periods of estr...
Charlotte's DNA Surprise
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Charlotte shares her journey as both an adoptee and NPE. Charlotte always knew she was adopted. Her parents were always op...
Cara's DNA Surprise
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 fi...
Gretchen's DNA Surprise
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to season 2 of DNA Surprises! In this week’s episode, we’ll hear Gretchen’s NPE story. Like many of our stories, Gretchen’s DNA surpri...
Bonus Episode - Interview with Leeanne R. Hay
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Surprise! It’s a bonus episode. In recognition of DNA Day, on April 25, we’re dropping a special episode with author Leeanne R. Hay, who recently ...
Alexis' DNA Surprise
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Rose's DNA Surprise
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 thi...
Jessica's DNA Surprise
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Lisa's DNA Surprise
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 affect...
Kristin's DNA Surprise
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Kristin shares her NPE journey after discovering the truth just four months prior to our conversation. She was completely blindsided ...
Whitney's DNA Surprise
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tragi...
Michael A’s DNA Surprise
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Summer’s DNA Surprise
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Summer’s mother told her about her NPE status when she was 13–a secret she kept for decades. It wasn’t until she took a DNA test that she connec...
Wendy’s DNA Surprise
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy’s path to finding her biological father is a long and winding road. As a double NPE, she has twice learned that the man she believed was her b...
Diana’s DNA Surprise
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Diana learned that her biological father is an old family friend, she was completely shocked. But soon after her discovery, many things started m...
Crystal's DNA Surprise
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Crystal's DNA surprise came as a total shock, years after she took her Ancestry DNA test. When her older sister showed up as a half-sibling, Cryst...
Kerry's DNA Surprise
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kerry's suspicions about her NPE status have come and gone throughout the years. As a child, she always felt different from her siblings, but a un...
Yvette’s DNA Surprise
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yvette shares a story of intergenerational secrets that she unearthed after discovering her DNA surprise in December 2020.⠀She learns that not only ...
DNA Surprises - Trailer
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine spitting into a tube, sending off your DNA, and unknowingly turning your life upside down. For me and thousands of others, this is our reality...