NPE Stories

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 [https://www.gedmatch.com/] The Stranger in My Genes [https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/the-stranger-in-my-genes-a-memoir?srsltid=AfmBOop5mi38s_Tp2Y-Zm0NpTfkgLFvptGdR9YZRhTMbEDqRBP507Yfv&pass-through=true]by Bill Griffeth NPE Stories Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/NPEStories] NPE Stories facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories] https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories]

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 [https://untanglingourroots.org/] Summit Leslie Pate Mackinnon [https://lesliepatemackinnon.com/] EMDR Therapy Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story | Lifetime [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mupEC7nyVgY] The Kiss: A Memoir by Kathryn Harrison [https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Memoir-Kathryn-Harrison/dp/0812979710] NPE Stories Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/NPEStories] NPE Stories facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories] https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories [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 [https://untanglingourroots.org/] Mar 19-22, 2026 Atlanta DNAngels [https://dnangels.org/] No Cost Search Angel Services Who Even Am I Anymore? [https://www.amazon.com/Who-Even-Anymore-Discovery-Conceived/dp/B09SH4QK9D] A Process Journal by Eve Sturges  Before You Go [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPXHG2B9/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_AW171S0CF0G9FF4RYFV1?linkCode=ml1&tag=stephaniew005-20&linkId=5cae90f0b35ecdd6b65a2d6803f60ee3] by Stephanie Walker NPE Stories Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/NPEStories] NPE Stories facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories] https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories [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 [https://www.facebook.com/RadioDJtheDJ/] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/radiodjthedj] @radiodjthedj Resources Mentioned: Untangling our Roots [https://untanglingourroots.org/] 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 [https://www.patreon.com/NPEStories] NPE Stories facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories] https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories [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 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mothers-lies-and-dna-surprises/id1837438258]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 [https://www.hiraethhopeandhealing.com/] Retreats Stacy's podcast Mothers, Lies, and DNA Surprises [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mothers-lies-and-dna-surprises/id1837438258] Togetherness Heals NPE private group on Facebook Book: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents [https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Children-Emotionally-Immature-Parents/dp/1626251703] by Lindsay C. Gibson NPE Stories Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/NPEStories] NPE Stories facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories] https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories [https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories]