You order a $99 home DNA test for some holiday pleasure. It’s a bit of fun. Right? Until it turns your life upside down.

The news of just how many people receive surprises about their family matching from DNA tests is spreading.

Heather and Jessica are sisters who have discovered that they have a half-sister they never knew about.

The recorded re-telling of a painful and emotional experience of uncovering a DNA surprise is helpful for others to read. It supports and validates others who are going through the same thing, and it provides insight for the friends, family, and professionals who will be there alongside a person on their journey following the unexpected discovery.

In this piece which covers the topic of support after unexpected DNA discoveries, I shared my thoughts on the topic and touched briefly on the role grief and support play in these experiences.

Ancestry tests work like paternity testing, in that they are able to detect whether or not you are matching to close biological family correctly or not. The results can be confusing, especially to someone not familiar with the way ancestry test results are displayed.

The uncovering of one DNA surprise can sometimes have a domino effect in a family. In the case of James and his family, the discovery that the father who raised James wasn’t his biological father led to the same discovery for his three siblings as well.

NPE meet and greets rapidly growing worldwide.

Stacey reached out to me looking to connect with and find support from others who have discovered from DNA testing that they have Misattributed Parentage (NPE).

Tracing individuals based on their relatives DNA and family trees are only part of what GEDmatch allows DNA researchers to do. Other tools are available on GEDmatch, including one called "Are Your Parents Related?"

If you are in a spot of deciding whether to reach out to genetic family who may or may not be aware of your existence, consider the situation pressing, but not urgent.

From the bravely-shared experiences of both Eden and Michelle, we learn about the tugging and pulling of loyalties to parents and siblings, the deeply-entrenched love and the desire for protection of the hearts of the ones most dear, and the unclear path forward when secrets long-hidden are suddenly and unexpectedly revealed.

Check out this podcast episode to hear the discussion and understand more about how Watershed DNA came to be and how I help people who have gotten DNA surprises after an at-home test.

One drop of change can have ripple effects that spread throughout the family.

People are people, have always been, and will always be. There's no need for judgment, no need for ridicule. People come into the world in different ways, and thanks to DNA testing, we are learning that family takes on many shapes and forms.

Families are complicated, and family secrets are no longer locked away in the past.

Here is Mary's story. She deserves our acknowledgment for the strength it took for her to recount her heartaches and even greater respect for the ability to rise from them.

Casey shares with us her DNA surprise, a shocking realization about herself and her connection with family that unfolded over time.