DNA Discovery, NPE, Misattributed Parentage, Non-Paternity Brianne K. Williams DNA Discovery, NPE, Misattributed Parentage, Non-Paternity Brianne K. Williams

“I truly believe things happen the way they’re supposed to happen” - An interview with author K.S. Hopkins

K.S. “Katie” Hopkins never guessed that a discovery about her sister's unexpected paternity would be just the start of a number of surprises in the family. What began as crumbs of information left in family documents led to DNA testing which confirmed a hidden family history.

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Misattributed Parentage, DNA Podcast Brianne K. Williams Misattributed Parentage, DNA Podcast Brianne K. Williams

Grounding Meditation for Mindfulness after a DNA discovery - FREE poster

Maggie Chenard is the Mindful NPE on Instagram and Twitter, and she hosts a secret Facebook group of same name. In the very first episode of DNA Clarity and Support was an interview, Maggie shared with host Brianne the journey she has taken after a discovery two years ago that the father she has always known was not her biological father. Hear how grief changes with time, the impact of an "NPE" (not parent expected) discovery on existing relationships, and what it takes to help those around you know how to offer the right kind of support. Download and print the free mindfulness meditation poster.

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Laura Kieger on DNA Clarity and Support: family, heredity, and the advancement of DNA in medical science

In this episode, Laura Kieger talks about her family's experience with the hereditary cancer syndrome, FAP. Kieger relates how in just a few short decades, the progress of medical genetics and cancer diagnosis has had a profound impact on her own life and others in her family. If anyone needs an example to point to as support for the importance of sharing DNA medical surprises with family, this episode of DNA Clarity and Support offers it!

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DNA Discovery, Adoptees, ROH Brianne K. Williams DNA Discovery, Adoptees, ROH Brianne K. Williams

“I have uncovered skeletons in every family tree I have worked on.”

John’s story starts with a personal medical crisis leading to a decision to search for information about his biological parentage. It ends with him embracing the truth of his biological origins, a situation that many others in the same shoes have struggled to accept because of society’s stigma around conceptions between parents who are related to each other.

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Misattributed Parentage, NPE, DNA Discovery Brianne K. Williams Misattributed Parentage, NPE, DNA Discovery Brianne K. Williams

Eight years of life as an NPE

Maggy wrote a reflection for the Watershed DNA blog three years ago. She is back again to share more reflections on her misattributed parentage experience. “Each puzzle piece helps me put myself together a little more firmly. I’m so grateful that I took that DNA test in 2013. It changed me and who I think I am and gave me a stronger sense of self than I think I ever would have had otherwise.”

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NPE, Genetic Testing, Donor Conception, Adoption, Family Secrets Brianne K. Williams NPE, Genetic Testing, Donor Conception, Adoption, Family Secrets Brianne K. Williams

“The Lost Family” Gets to the Core Issues at Hand With DNA Testing and Family Secrets

The first book of its genre to cover the pressing topic of DNA tests and the end of family secrets, Copeland’s The Lost Family provides an overview of the current DNA test landscape and a short history of how it came to be this way.

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