At the end of every episode, I ask my guests two questions. The first question is advice for parents who may be keeping a DNA surprise from their children. Most of the time, like 99% of the time, the advice is to tell. To tell because people have the right to know. To tell because trust in your parents is important. To tell because eventually, maybe generations down the line, the truth will come out.

In this week’s episode, Oscar shares his story of what happens when the child of an NPE uncovers a DNA surprise. He shares why struggled with telling his mom, what he learned about his family, and where things stand today.

Thank you for sharing your story, Oscar.

Support the show.

Dad. Bio dad. Genetic father. Father. After people connect with their newfound biological fathers, they often struggle with what to call them. And what about the dads we grew up with? Raised dad. Step-dad. Birth-certificate dad. Then there’s the well-meaning but perpetually frustrating phrase, “your dad is still your dad.” Love that one.

Many of us do continue calling the dads we grew up with dad. But what if your relationship with your raised father is traumatic? What if you were always distant, and there’s no real love lost after uncovering a DNA surprise?

In this week’s episode, Luisa shares a name I hadn’t heard yet on the show - Fake Dad. She shares how she uncovered her DNA surprise and the impact that it had on her relationship with her parents, as well as the biological father she was able to identify. He’s called “New Dad,” by the way.

A quick warning before this episode begins - there is mention of childhood sexual abuse during our conversation.

Thank you for sharing your story, Luisa.

Support the show.

The truth will set you free. That’s the hope, right? In this week’s episode, Joe shares how taking a test for fun led to him uncovering the truth about his paternity, which relieved him of the guilt and burden of maintaining a relationship with his birth certificate father. He also discusses how he’s connected with newfound family and what it means to him.

Thank you for sharing your story, Joe.

Support the show.