In this episode, Lily sits down with Molly, who shares the complex layers of being both an adoptee and an NPE within a small-town dynamic where the adults knew the truth long before she did. Molly opens up about the "fairytale" highs and devastating lows of a reunion that ultimately didn't last, and how she has utilized EMDR therapy and her faith to process the profound grief and shame of those experiences.

Resources Mentioned:

Untangling Our Roots Summit

Leslie Pate Mackinnon

EMDR Therapy

Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story | Lifetime

The Kiss: A Memoir by Kathryn Harrison

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

This episode follows Stephanie’s journey from a stable, loving childhood into a shocking DNA discovery after her dad’s death revealed he wasn’t her biological father. What starts with family secrets, an Ancestry test, and a stepmom’s cryptic comment turns into a whirlwind of answers — including identifying her biological father, discovering new siblings, and realizing her daughter was unknowingly friends with her first cousin. Stephanie shares the emotional fallout, identity shift, grief, and healing resources that helped her navigate life as an NPE. 

Stephanie can be reached via email [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

Untangling our Roots Summit Mar 19-22, 2026 Atlanta

DNAngels No Cost Search Angel Services

Who Even Am I Anymore? A Process Journal by Eve Sturges 

Before You Go by Stephanie Walker

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

DJ grew up believing he knew exactly where he came from—named after his father, raised in a working-class family shaped by absence, anger, and long stretches of silence. From childhood jokes about not looking like his dad to being told his parents stayed together “for him,” this episode sits with the doubts he learned to carry without ever questioning out loud.

DJ can be found on social media: Facebook and Instagram @radiodjthedj

Resources Mentioned:

Untangling our Roots Summit Held in Atlanta Mar 19-22 2026

Thank you to Olivia Mesnard Hendrix for working on the new upcoming logo for NPE Stories. Her work can be found on Instagram @shop_94art  

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

In this deeply personal conversation (and crossover episode), Stacy opens up about discovering she’s a double NPE, confronting painful family truths, and grieving a father she never had the chance to know. She reflects on healing, chosen family, and how community, therapy, and self-compassion helped her rebuild her sense of identity.

Stacy is the host of Mothers, Lies, and DNA Surprises and recently recorded Lily's Story on her podcast.  

Stacy can be reached on Facebook Stacy Porter Williams, or her email [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

Hiraeth Hope & Healing Retreats

Stacy's podcast Mothers, Lies, and DNA Surprises

Togetherness Heals NPE private group on Facebook

Book: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

Constance grew up believing she shared the same father as her siblings, though she always sensed something was off. Decades later, an AncestryDNA test and unexpected messages from strangers unraveled the truth—leading her to her biological father living just 20 minutes away. Their emotional first meeting, the highs and lows of building a relationship at midlife, and Constance’s journey toward grace, understanding, and identity make this a deeply meaningful NPE story.

Constance can be reached via email [email protected]

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

Krissy shares her decades-long journey from an offhand comment in her teens to the life-changing discovery that she is an NPE, uncovering hidden family truths on both her maternal and paternal sides.

She can be reached via email [email protected]

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

In this episode, Traci Grant shares her profound NPE journey, uncovering a hidden truth about her biological father after a lifetime of painful family dynamics and secrecy. 

Traci can be reached at tracigrant.com or [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

After the Rotting by Traci Grant

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

Amy’s discovery about her origins reshaped everything she thought she knew about her life and family. This conversation stayed with me long after recording—it’s one of those stories that quietly breaks your heart while reminding you what healing can look like.

Amy can be reached via email [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

Some NPE groups on facebook 

MPE Life: DNA Surprise, NPE, Adoptee, & Donor Conceived (DCP) RTK Support

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mpelife

Togetherness Heals ~ NPE Only on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/611030509748927

Hiraeth Hope and Healing (retreats for NPEs)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/456700751111085

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

After a tumultuous childhood, William built a happy life as a chef, husband, and father—until a DNA test revealed a hidden truth about his identity. His discovery led him to a new family, a shared passion, and a journey of forgiveness and healing. In this episode, William reflects on breaking cycles of pain and finding connection through truth.

William can be reached via facebook or email [email protected]

Resources Mentioned:

Dani Shapiro's Inheritance 

William Aperance's A Life Half Told: Unraveling my life's story through DNA

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

When Pat took a DNA test to ease her brother’s doubts, she never imagined it would upend everything she thought she knew about her family. What followed was a story of shock, grief, forgiveness, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild your identity after discovering a hidden truth.

Pat can be reached via email [email protected]

NPE Stories Patreon

NPE Stories facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NPEstories