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Description
What if you found out your parent was not in fact your biological parent?
NPE Stories is a podcast where NPEs can share their story. What is an NPE? It is a term that stands for Not Parent Expected or Non Paternity Event. It is used for people who have found out the life changing news that their parent wasn’t their biological parent. Most likely through the advent of home DNA kits.
NPE Stories is a podcast where NPEs can share their story of what their original family was like. How they found out they were an NPE. And what their journey has been like since the day they found out.
These stories are here for us to listen to and nod along with. Be a part of the story telling. If you are an NPE that would like to share your story email npestories@gmail.com. You do not have to give any identifying information. I’d like to hear from you.
NPE Stories will be launching July 1st 2019. Come heal with us.
223 Episodes
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In this episode, Lori shares her journey of discovering she was donor conceived after taking a DNA test meant to be a distraction during a difficult time. What began as curiosity about her heritage unraveled decades of family secrets, uncovered hidden siblings, and raised urgent questions about medical history and identity. Lori speaks candidly about the impact on her relationships, the search for truth, and her commitment to breaking cycles of secrecy for future generations. Lori can be reac...
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 by all along — in ways she never could have imagined. Resources Mentioned: DNA Surprises with Alexis Hourselt NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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 certificates carried different names and birthdates, leaving her with more questions than answers. Discovering she is an NPE helped bring clarity, and since then she’s begun building relationships with some of her family members. While those connections are slowly unfolding, she has not yet met her b...
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 adored. What began as a search for Native American heritage unraveled decades of hidden family truths, emotional trauma, and unexpected healing. With humor, honesty, and raw vulnerability, Steve recounts how love, support, and forgiveness helped him rebuild his identity and redefine the meaning of fami...
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 finding out she was an NPE through a DNA test Deb shares her story of meeting and building strong bonds with her biological paternal family while dealing with legal matters at the same time. Deb can be reached via email debscales25@gmail.com NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page htt...
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 story is one of raw honesty, growth, and empowerment. This episode offers a moving look into what it means to rise above your beginnings. Rashanda can be reached via email rashandalawyer@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: DNAngels NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPE...
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 her identity. Her journey explores loss, secrecy, and the power of living one’s truth Annette's memoir is called Living Into the Truth. You can learn more about Annette and her story at the following links: annettemarquis.com wordswomenpress.com Resources Mentioned: Untangling Our Roots Summit Hi...
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 as she navigates the shock of a DNA discovery, a hidden past, and the bittersweet truth of finding her biological father. Melanie can be reached via email mel251116@yahoo.com Resources Mentioned: Linked here is Melanie's warm letter to her BF NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook ...
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, secrecy, and search for truth in her NPE experience. Devorah Lee can be reached via email takenfromthecradle@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: Taken From The Cradle: Unveiling a Black-Market Baby Ring; Conquering Walls to Unearth the Truth by Devorah Lee Taken From The Cradle Website Fraud in the...
1Lauren 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 laurencookphoto@gmail.com To hear Lauren's origin story Episode 28 of NPE Stories listen here. NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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, and Eve Sturges. Together, they dive into their recent article, Misattributed Paternity Discovery: A Critique of Medical Organizations' Recommendations, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The conversation explores the implications of current medical guidelines, personal experien...
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, shattering her sense of belonging. After grappling with grief and betrayal, she found healing through therapy, genealogy, and embracing her Irish heritage, ultimately reclaiming her identity and freedom. Amy can be reached via email aslingsby@tds.net Resources Mentioned: Lily Wood: NPE Stories Special Cr...
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 actually her half-sibling. Jennifer can be reached via email jayca519@aol.com NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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. Julie can be reached on instagram @katmondieu NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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 of questioning. NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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 though she saw no resemblance. It wasn’t until a 2019 Ancestry DNA test that Robin started to receive DNA results. She has written a book called Finding My Way; details below. Robin can be reached through her website https://robinfschepperauthor.com/ on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.p...
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 finally took a DNA test and with help, narrowed down his birth father. David can be reached via email at davidsulak01@yahoo.com Resources Mentioned: Previous guest Ep. 194 Margo's Story has just released her sequel memoir, When You Shake the Family Tree by Margo Reilly available o...
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 her biological father. Heather can be reached via email Heathercarrie1000@gmail.com NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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 her figure out more about her paternal family. Gina can be reached by email ginalsobania@gmail.com Resources Mentioned: DNA Angels - a nonprofit search angel organization dedicated to the assistance of individuals seeking to identify their biological parent(s) using DNA interpretation. NPE S...
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 story today. Resources Mentioned: Dr. Michele Grethel looking to interview NPEs, LDAs, DCPs and their family members. For more information, contact Dr. Grethel at mgrethel@usc.edu or 917-797-5608. NPE Stories Patreon NPE Stories facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories
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Why keep causing strife in this marriage?
This is AWESOME! I'm an NPE as well!