Therese reached out to share her story about discovering she had a different biological father than she was told, and in her story is both struggle and growth.

Severance Magazine is a resource for the growing group of individuals who learn they have been separated by biological relatives.

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.