Arnold first shared about his experience discovering an unknown biological daughter on the Watershed DNA blog many years ago. In episode 3 this season, Arnold joined Brianne to share more of his story. He is back again to answer listener questions, offering reassurance and parting words to fathers and families who find themselves in a similar situation.

Today’s guest, Arnold (shared with permission), reflects on the past six years since he first learned he had a biological daughter he never knew existed. His story is one of vulnerability and openness, of loss and healing, and finding courage to reveal a surprise child discovery after years of choosing not to share.

This episode covers:

• Arnold’s experience of preparing to share about his biological child discovery, first with his wife and later his children

• Arnold (and his late wife’s) decision to meet his biological daughter in person and develop a relationship with her privately

• Finding community with other bio dads and from online support groups

• How coaching with Brianne set him up for success in sharing the surprise news

In this episode of DNA Clarity and Support, Brianne talks with Jen Jacober, a genetic counselor who brings a deeply personal perspective to her work. Jen is a late-discovery donor-conceived person, and she opens up about what it was like to learn this truth as an adult—and how that experience has shaped her understanding of herself and influenced her professional practice.

Maggy was the family genealogist who dedicated her heart and time to developing the family tree branches far and wide. A month after distributing a book of their genealogy to her excited family, she discovered the book no longer included her.

Over the past 12-and-a-half years since her surprise DNA discovery, Maggy has been on a long and winding journey grappling with her identity and navigating changes in her relationships.

Maggy shares encouragement with other NPEs and advice for finding the community that fits your needs. She shares her experience of using a painful discovery to help others (and help yourself in the process). 

Creativity comes in many forms and is a powerful way to find healing. Today we share a free resource with you, a downloadable, printable e-book called Haiku Inspired by DNA. It has space to doodle and color while you read.