NPE Stories

Tracey's Story

"This is a story of three people who loved a little girl." In this episode, Tracy shares how growing up as the youngest of nine in a tight-knit Canadian town was filled with warmth, including a special bond with a close family friend named Harvey. Years after both Harvey and the father who raised her passed away, a 2020 DNA test confirmed that Harvey was her biological father—revealing a peaceful agreement between three parents who chose to give her a loving childhood. Tracey can be reached via email thegirlsixdoorsaway@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: The Girl Six Doors Away by Tracey Arsenault Social Media @thegirlsixdoorsaway NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Rose's Story

In this episode, Rose opens up about discovering her biological father through a 2024 DNA test and managing the unexpected shift in her cultural identity. She shares how humor helped her navigate the initial shock, what it has been like trying to connect with a father who keeps her a secret, and why leaning into comedy and comfort movies keeps her grounded. Resources Mentioned: Mamma Mia the movie Parent Trap the movies NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Bradley's Story

This episode features Bradley Hall, a well-known figure in the NPE community. He shares his own personal story and childhood trauma, as well as how his identity crisis and NPE affected him. So many great resources mentioned for NPEs in this special episode. Resources Mentioned: npenetwork.org The NPE Experience thebradleyhall.com The NPE Experience by Bradley Hall book coming soon NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Toi's Story

Toi shares what she has learned about her NPE and biological father, while noting that her mother may have never known the truth herself. After facing new heart failure complications and a hereditary diagnosis, she reaches back out to her biological relatives to uncover critical health details and seek closure. NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Jen's Story

Jen originally had her non-paternal event as a young adult in the late 90's when a man she had known her whole life abruptly told her the truth. Jen spent years navigating her identity crisis and eventually found healing through EMDR. Jen can be reached via email jj_bense@yahoo.com NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Sharon's Story

After family gossip started up, Sharon submitted a DNA test and received a surprise in her DNA matches. Drawing on her crisis counseling background, Sharon has given back by serving as a certified trauma recovery coach and support group facilitator to help others in the NPE community heal. Resources Mentioned: MPE competent directory NPE Coping Hacks below: (created by DNA NPE Healing Hearts ) Coping Hacks...The Good Kind Accomplish something, even if its small. Clean out a drawer, your closet, your car. Get a check-up and speak to your doctor. Be honest about your feelings. Identify your triggers and develop a strategy to cope beforehand. Make a gratitude list of 3-5 things you're grateful for. Write a letter to who you're having strong feelings about, then burn it or tear it up. Journal, write down free thoughts when you're feeling overwhelmed Exercise or move your body; get outside in the sun. Do anything with your feelings/thoughts when they come up. – Dr. Jai Belton NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Diana's Story

Licensed mental health counselor Diana shares her recent NPE (Non-Paternal Event) discovery after a late 2020 DNA test led to unexpected family revelations in early 2026. Raised in a multicultural environment across New York and Florida, she explores the emotional journey of grieving her identity. Guided by her faith and background as a therapist, Diana discusses how she uses community, therapeutic tools, and personal coping strategies to embrace this new chapter with hope and resilience. Resources Mentioned: The Holistic Counselor NPE Guide Misattributed Parentage Counseling Directory NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Daisy's Story

Lily Wood kicks off Season 8 with guest Daisy Woods, who shares her story of discovering at age 55 that her biological roots were not what she had always believed. When a sudden health crisis leaves doctors searching for answers, Daisy is forced to uncover the true genetic history hidden from her for decades. Her journey reveals why knowing your true biological heritage isn't just about identity—it can literally be a matter of life and death. Tune in to hear Daisy's inspiring perspective, along with a crucial practical tip on how accessing state death records can help you unlock your own family's medical truth. Daisy can be reached via email cocogriot@gmail.com and her youtube channel listed below. Resources Mentioned: Who Yo People? Workbook by Daisy Woods Daisy Woods aka Cocoa Griot (A Black Girl Stoic) Youtube Channel NPE Reddit NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Relative Strangers

In the year 7 season finale I was so excited to chat with B.K. Jackson (aka Kate), the incredible founder of Severance magazine and editor of the brilliant new essay collection, Relative Strangers. We had a great conversation into her incredibly complex discovery story which includes 9 siblings, and we spoke about the healing power of storytelling. Resources Mentioned: Relative Strangers edited by B.K. Jackson Severance Magazine edited by B.K. Jackson B.K. Jackson's ADHD Substack NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Elizabeth's Story

In this episode, Lily Wood sits down with Elizabeth, a trauma-informed yoga teacher who shares her traumatic story of surviving a chaotic childhood only to discover through a 23andMe test the devastating truth about her conception. Elizabeth can be reached via email ekvipyoga@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: vipyoga-noco.com DNAngels DNA Surprises Podcast with Alexis Hourselt (3 part podcast) NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Danny's Story

Danny's mother revealed that he was actually a Non-Paternity Event (NPE) child, and his biological father was a man from New York named Daniel. To honor his biological roots while acknowledging the man who raised him, he socially changed his name to Danny. Danny can be reached via instagram @javi__cito NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Alethia's Story

Harmful Content Warning: This episode contains raw language including racial slurs, as well as discussions of domestic violence and systemic trauma. Alethia joins me to talk about a childhood defined by internal racism and the messy reality of growing up in a toxic home. We dive into the moment her world shifted when a DNA test completely dismantled her family’s origin story, replacing it with a hidden history she never saw coming. It’s an honest, sometimes uncomfortable look at the shame that follows a DNA surprise and the heavy emotional cost of carrying secrets you didn't even know existed. Resources Mentioned: Right to Know DNAngels and Search Angels One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life - A Story of Race and Family Secrets by Bliss Broyard Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey The Color of Water by James McBride I Take My Coffee Black by Tyler Merritt Reflections: A Window Into My Soul by Alethia Stern NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Becca's Story

In this episode, Becca Rothman, a comedian, activist, and mother shares the surprising story of discovering she was donor-conceived later in life. After years of living with a "clue" found by her sister, Becca finally used a DNA kit to uncover a biological father—a pediatrician—who shares her love of exclamation points. Becca discusses how she turned the entire journey into her 30-minute solo comedy show, Gifted. You can follow Becca's stand-up and storytelling journey on Instagram @BeccaRothman Resources Mentioned: The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland The Sunday Story Seven IG @storyseven.al beccarothman.com Untangling Our Roots Conference NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Mark's Story

Growing up with a "normal" Midwestern upbringing, Mark never felt different or disconnected from his family. However, after his father's death, a quest to explore his Portuguese heritage through a DNA test led to the staggering discovery that he was 100% Iberian and had zero Polish blood. Now, he shares his journey of navigating this new reality, confronting a mother whose memories are fading, and connecting with a biological family he never knew existed. Mark can be reached via email markthenpe@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: Right to Know Severance Magazine DNA Surprises with Alexis Hourselt NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Alex's Story

Alex Frantz shares the life-altering discovery of being donor-conceived, a revelation triggered by a holiday DNA kit. They describe the shock of realizing they attended high school with their half-siblings. Alex recounts forming a deep, "seamless" bond with their biological father and half-brother over a shared love for music. Alex can be reached via instagram @bedhead_babe Resources Mentioned: Untangling Our Roots Alex's Band: The Eye Traps Instagram @theeyetrapsband NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Dawn M's Story

Dawn grew up feeling a quiet sense that something didn’t quite fit, but it wasn’t until a search for her family’s past that everything she thought she knew began to shift. In this episode, she shares what it’s like to uncover the truth later in life—and how she’s finding her way forward, one piece at a time. Dawn can be reached via email thebeginningnpe@gmail.com Thank you to Dawn's daughter Olivia Hendrix for creating the newest NPE Stories podcast logo and graphics. Her art can be found @shop_94art on Instagram Resources Mentioned: GEDmatch The Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

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Molly's Story

In this episode, Lily sits down with Molly, who shares the complex layers of being both an adoptee and an NPE within a small-town dynamic where the adults knew the truth long before she did. Molly opens up about the "fairytale" highs and devastating lows of a reunion that ultimately didn't last, and how she has utilized EMDR therapy and her faith to process the profound grief and shame of those experiences. Resources Mentioned: Untangling Our Roots Summit Leslie Pate Mackinnon EMDR Therapy Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story | Lifetime The Kiss: A Memoir by Kathryn Harrison NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

Stephanie's Story

This episode follows Stephanie’s journey from a stable, loving childhood into a shocking DNA discovery after her dad’s death revealed he wasn’t her biological father. What starts with family secrets, an Ancestry test, and a stepmom’s cryptic comment turns into a whirlwind of answers — including identifying her biological father, discovering new siblings, and realizing her daughter was unknowingly friends with her first cousin. Stephanie shares the emotional fallout, identity shift, grief, and healing resources that helped her navigate life as an NPE. Stephanie can be reached via email walkers424@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: Untangling our Roots Summit Mar 19-22, 2026 Atlanta DNAngels No Cost Search Angel Services Who Even Am I Anymore? A Process Journal by Eve Sturges Before You Go by Stephanie Walker NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

DJ's Story

DJ grew up believing he knew exactly where he came from—named after his father, raised in a working-class family shaped by absence, anger, and long stretches of silence. From childhood jokes about not looking like his dad to being told his parents stayed together “for him,” this episode sits with the doubts he learned to carry without ever questioning out loud. DJ can be found on social media: Facebook and Instagram @radiodjthedj Resources Mentioned: Untangling our Roots Summit Held in Atlanta Mar 19-22 2026 Thank you to Olivia Mesnard Hendrix for working on the new upcoming logo for NPE Stories. Her work can be found on Instagram @shop_94art NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

Stacy's Story

In this deeply personal conversation (and crossover episode), Stacy opens up about discovering she’s a double NPE, confronting painful family truths, and grieving a father she never had the chance to know. She reflects on healing, chosen family, and how community, therapy, and self-compassion helped her rebuild her sense of identity. Stacy is the host of Mothers, Lies, and DNA Surprises and recently recorded Lily's Story on her podcast. Stacy can be reached on Facebook Stacy Porter Williams, or her email sandkey06@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: Hiraeth Hope & Healing Retreats Stacy's podcast Mothers, Lies, and DNA Surprises Togetherness Heals NPE private group on Facebook Book: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories