The Girl In The Cupboard - DNA & Adoption Discoveries & Real Stories

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

Christina grew up believing she knew who her father was—even though he had questioned whether she was really his daughter. Her mother always denied having an affair and took the truth to her grave.

Then, in 2023, a DNA test changed everything.

Christina discovered that the man she had believed was her father was not biologically related to her. The result uncovered a family secret that had been hidden for her entire life—and revealed a biological father, a half-brother and the sister she had always wished for.

In this deeply emotional episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, Christina shares the childhood abuse she endured, her anger towards the adults who failed to protect her and the unanswered questions left behind after her mother’s death.

She also describes hearing her biological father’s voice for the first time, why she kept his very first “Hey, kiddo” voicemail, and what happened when she travelled to Kansas to spend Christmas with a family she had never known.

After a lifetime of feeling like the forgotten child, Christina finally experienced what it felt like to be welcomed, accepted and loved by a father who respected her boundaries and waited until she was ready.

This is a powerful story about DNA discovery, hidden parentage, surviving childhood trauma and finding the family—and the happiness—you thought you had missed forever.

If Christina’s story touches you, please leave a kind and supportive comment. Don’t forget to like, subscribe and share this episode with someone who may need to hear it.

⚠️ This episode discusses childhood abuse, family trauma and bereavement. Please take care while listening.

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

Malcolm grew up believing that his mother had died when he was just three years old and that the man he called Dad was his biological father.

Then, at 15, a girl approached him in the school playground and revealed she was his cousin. His mother wasn’t dead—she was alive, living in America and planning to return for a visit.

But that wasn’t the only family secret being kept from him.

At 22, Malcolm discovered that the man he had called Dad his entire life wasn’t his biological father. Suddenly, the rejection, lack of affection and feeling of never truly belonging began to make sense.

Years later, DNA testing uncovered yet another extraordinary twist involving Malcolm’s half-brother and the man who had raised him.

In this raw and remarkably honest episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, Malcolm speaks about abandonment, hidden parentage, family lies and the lasting impact his childhood had on the husband and father he later became. He also openly discusses his own mistakes, the painful patterns that repeated through his family and why he documented his story in his autobiography, From Son to Father.

This is a powerful conversation about identity, rejection and the damage caused when children are denied the truth about who they are.

Malcolm’s book, From Son to Father, is available on Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/08mbYUo3

Please remember that our guests are sharing deeply personal experiences. Keep all comments kind and respectful.

If you have experienced a DNA discovery, adoption, hidden parentage or a family secret and would like to share your story, please get in touch.

Please support Malcolm and the podcast by liking, commenting, sharing and subscribing.

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

What if one of your clearest childhood memories led to a place that had never existed?

In this episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, I’m joined by Tammy Braswell, founder of Create by Vibration and an Energetic Creation Guide and Spiritual Channel.

At just three or four years old, Tammy remembers crossing a road with a nine-year-old girl, crawling through bushes and playing together in a local park. She even vividly recalls falling from a spinning merry-go-round.

Years later, Tammy returned to find the park—but discovered there had never been one there. In its place was a lake covering the remains of a forgotten town called Rawsonville.

As Tammy began researching the town, she uncovered the story of a family who once lived there. One of their daughters had been four years old, with a sister aged nine. The connections became even more extraordinary when Tammy visited a nearby cemetery and found the family’s graves—including the grave of the woman she believes she may have been in a previous life.

Tammy shares her remarkable story, her lifelong connection to spirits and energy, and her belief that childhood memories can sometimes carry traces of another lifetime.

We also explore trauma, why the past continues to affect us and Tammy’s belief that we are already whole.

Could Tammy have been remembering a life she lived before—and had she unknowingly returned to the very place where it all began?

Watch now and let us know what you believe in the comments—but please keep all comments kind and respectful. This is a safe and supportive community for people to share their experiences.

If you have an unexplained childhood memory, DNA discovery or family secret you would like to share, please get in touch.

Subscribe to The Girl in the Cupboard for more extraordinary true stories about identity, family secrets, childhood memories and the unexplained.

Find Tammy:

Your Divine Journey: https://yourdivinejourney.com
Create by Vibration: https://createbyvibration.com

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

Shannon Lamkin discovered on her 14th birthday that she was adopted—and that everyone in her family had known all along.

Years later, armed with an old address, telephone directories, handwritten letters and sheer determination, Shannon began searching for the truth about where she came from.

What she uncovered was extraordinary: an affair, a forged signature on her adoption papers, seven biological siblings on her birth mother’s side and a birth father who had never even known she existed. Tragically, Shannon discovered that he had died just two years before she began searching.

In this deeply emotional episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, Shannon shares the fear of travelling deep into the Ozark Mountains to meet her birth family, the shocking reality she found when she arrived and why she ultimately felt grateful that her birth mother had given her up for adoption.

She also reveals how DNA finally confirmed her father’s identity decades later—and how her search led her to more than a dozen siblings across her adoptive and biological families.

This is a remarkable story of adoption, family secrets, identity, survival and the lifelong need to understand where we come from.

Please remember that these are real people sharing deeply personal experiences. Lovely and supportive comments only.

If Shannon’s story moved you, please like, comment, subscribe and share this episode—it may reach someone who needs to hear it.

Connect with Shannon:

Travel Time Stories with Shannon
https://traveltimestories.com

Shannon’s forthcoming book, Map Back to Me: A Journey from Darkness to Light, is expected in late 2026 or early 2027.

#AdoptionStory #AdopteeVoices #FamilySecrets #DNAJourney #BirthFamily #AdoptionReunion #Identity #TheGirlInTheCupboard

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

At nine years old, Astrid discovered that the man she called Dad was actually her stepfather.

At 16, she wrote to her biological father in Kazakhstan and discovered she had two brothers—but after one reply, he disappeared from her life again.

Years later, Astrid found him and made contact, only to learn that he had kept her existence secret from his entire family for approximately 35 years. Then, unexpectedly, a brother who never knew he had a sister found her on Facebook.

In this emotional episode, Astrid shares:

• Why she always felt different from her family
• The childhood conversation that revealed the truth
• Her feelings of abandonment and unanswered questions
• Finding her biological father and hearing his voice
• Why she eventually ended contact
• Discovering she had been hidden from his family
• Building a relationship with her brother
• Her connection to her Kazakh heritage
• The difficult decision about visiting Kazakhstan
• Why healing means facing what happened without allowing it to control your future

This is a powerful conversation about identity, belonging, rejection, family loyalty and the courage it takes to search for the truth.

The Girl in the Cupboard is a safe and supportive community for people affected by unexpected parentage, DNA discoveries, adoption, donor conception and hidden family secrets.

If you have a story you would like to share, please get in touch. You can appear openly, use a different name or remain anonymous.

Please subscribe, share this episode and keep all comments kind and respectful. Behind every story is a real person, a real family and real emotions.

Contact Astrid: Instagram itsastridborn

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

At just 12 years old, Lady V was told that the man she believed was her father wasn’t her biological dad. Shortly afterwards, she began dating a boy from school—only to discover that he was actually her half-brother.

That devastating family secret shattered her trust in the adults around her. Already experiencing abuse at home and feeling she had nowhere safe to turn, Lady V found herself living on the streets and became a madam at just 15 years old.

In this deeply honest episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, Lady V shares how childhood abuse, hidden parentage and family betrayal pushed her towards street life, abusive relationships and numerous attempts to take her own life.

She also reveals what happened when she finally spoke publicly about the abuse, why she lost her family for almost ten years, and how she eventually transformed her pain into purpose.

Now an author, speaker, podcaster and Spiritual Release Coach, Lady V helps others release their past, overcome limiting beliefs and “ROAR in their greatness.”

This is a powerful story of survival, forgiveness, faith and finally learning to choose yourself.

Connect with Lady V and discover her books, podcast, coaching and other work:
https://linktr.ee/LadyVenp

⚠️ Content warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood sexual abuse, suicide attempts, exploitation and abusive relationships. Viewer discretion is advised.

If anything discussed in this episode affects you, please reach out to a trusted person or an appropriate support organisation. You are not alone.

Please keep all comments kind and respectful. The Girl in the Cupboard is a safe and supportive community where people can share their truth without judgement.

If you have experienced a DNA discovery, unexpected parentage or a hidden family secret and would like to share your story, please get in touch.

Please like, subscribe and share to help these important stories reach the people who may need to hear them.

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

What would you do if, on your 50th wedding anniversary, an unexpected message revealed that your husband had a daughter he never knew existed?

In this deeply personal first episode of The Girl in the Cupboard, I’m joined by my stepmum, Sharon Bosworth—the remarkable woman who received my message, welcomed me into her family and changed my life forever.

After taking an Ancestry DNA test, I accidentally discovered that the man who raised me was not my biological father. A DNA match led me to Kurt, my biological dad, and to the woman who would become far more than a stepmum to me.

Together, we talk openly about:

• The message that arrived on their 50th wedding anniversary
• Sharon’s reaction to discovering her husband had another daughter
• The moment my dad first called me
• Meeting my biological father and family for the first time
• Discovering that I was half German
• Being welcomed by a sister I never knew I had
• Losing my dad after only two and a half years together
• The family holiday where we scattered his ashes
• What to consider before taking a DNA test
• How to respond when an unexpected relative contacts you

This is a story about DNA, identity, grief, acceptance and the extraordinary difference one person can make by choosing kindness.

As I tell Sharon during our conversation: “You gave me the family I never had.”

The Girl in the Cupboard is a safe and supportive community for people affected by DNA discoveries, unexpected parentage, adoption, donor conception and hidden family secrets.

Please keep all comments kind, positive and respectful.

If you have a story you would like to share, please get in touch. You can appear openly, use a different name or remain anonymous.

Please subscribe, share this episode and help it reach someone who may need to know they are not alone.

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

Have a story? Want to be on the show? get in touch

At 52, a DNA test completely changed everything I believed about myself.

I wasn’t searching for my biological father. I simply wanted to continue the family tree after my mum died. Instead, the results revealed that the man I had always believed was my father wasn’t my biological dad—and that I was half German, not Cornish as I had believed all my life.

That one test led me to a dad I never knew existed, a sister, another brother, a stepmum and an entirely new family. I was incredibly fortunate to have two and a half precious years with my biological father before he passed away.

In this opening episode, I share:

• Why I hid in a cupboard during my difficult childhood
• The clues that made me feel different growing up
• Why I believe my mum knew the truth
• Discovering my biological father through DNA
• Hearing my dad’s voice for the first time
• Learning how to become part of a family
• Why I created The Girl in the Cupboard

This podcast is a safe and supportive community for stories about DNA discoveries, unexpected parentage, adoption, fostering, donor conception and family secrets.

If you have a story to share, you can join me openly, use a different name or remain completely anonymous.

Please subscribe and keep all comments kind, positive and respectful. Behind every story is a real person, a real family and real emotions.

Whatever your story, you deserve to be heard—and you should never have to carry it alone. Welcome to The Girl in the Cupboard.

Support the show

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

8TH March  2024

Today I finish her notes/letter on her life in India with her parents 

Don't forget to go back to the other episodes or just one might seem a bit odd!. 

Would be grateful if you could subscribe & like the episode so I know you are a real person :)

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]

6TH March  2024

Just a quick hello and update on the letter , back again tomorrow with a full episode

Don't forget to go back to the other episodes or just one might seem a bit odd!. 

Would be grateful if you could subscribe & like the episode so I know you are a real person :)

Samaritans if you need just someone to talk please know you are never alone call 116 123 everyone deserves to be listened to

Contact me by email [email protected]