DNA Surprise Network
Debbie Olson
Life Coach
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DNA Surprise Network
Debbie Olson
Life Coach
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Our Stories
  • Resources & Retreat
  • Book Reviews

On my journey I have found books, movies/TV shows and podcasts helpful. I have not enjoyed everything on this list, but provide the information for others who may find it helpful. I have also included a few other resources I hope are helpful. Let me know what I can add that you found helpful.

Retreat

  The  DNA Surprise Retreat, brought to you by DNA Surprise Network and DNA  Surprises Podcast, is for NPEs, DCPs, and adoptees experiencing the  grief and shock that can only be felt following a DNA discovery. 

Join  us for four special days in Tucson, AZ. You will find community with  people who have similar experiences, learn skills to cope with a DNA  surprise, and most importantly, discover how to step into your power and  heal.

Learn more at www.DNASurpriseRetreat.com.

Resources

Books

A Broken Tree: How DNA Exposed a Family’s Secrets—Stephen F. Anderson

American Baby—A Mother, A Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption—Gabrielle Glaser 

American Bastard-Jan Beatty

Before We Were Yours: A Novel-Lisa Wingate, Emily Rankin, et al. 

Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society-Judy Christie, Lisa Wingate, et al.

Believe It—Jamie Kern Lima (Jamie accidentally found out she was adopted as an adult and a portion of her book is her story of finding her birth mother)

Calling Dr. Laura, A Graphic Memoir--Nicole J Georges 

Exposed by DNA: A Path to Reveal Family Secrets—K.S. Hopkins

Finding Family—Richard Hill

Folksong, A Ballad of Death, Discovery and DNA--Cory Goodrich 

Inheritance—Dani Shapiro 

I'm Glad My Mom Died--Jennette McCurdy (Has an NPE twist but not the focus of the book.)

Ithaka: A Daughter's Memoir of Being Found-Sarah Saffian

Junkyard Girl, A Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets and Second Chances--Carlyn Montes De Oca

My Extra Special Leaves-Jean Wright *Please Note-this is a children's book.  

“A sweet and simple breakdown of the sibling relationship between sperm donor-conceived children. This fun, inclusive story not only addresses the excitement surrounding donor sibling similarities and uniqueness, but also gently addresses the potential curiosity a child may feel as they better understand how they came to be!”
My Family Tree Taken to the Grave--Shari Klosterman 

NPE*A Story Guide for Unexpected DNA Discoveries--Leeanne R. Hay

Orphan Train: A Novel-Christina Baker Kline, Jessica Almasy, et al. 

Postcards from Cookie: A Memoir of Motherhood, Mircles, and a whole Lot of Mail-Caroline Clarke

Somebody's Daughter-Zara H. Phillips

The Foundling-The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret and My Search for the Real Me—Paul Joseph Fronczak and Ale Tresniowski  and

True Identity--Paul Joseph Fronczak

The Gathering Place: An Adoptee's Story-Emma Stevens

The DNA Guide for Adoptees - Brianne Kirkpatrick, MS, LCGC and Shannon Combs-Bennett, QG, PLCGS

The Lost Family—Libby Copeland

The Milkman’s Son—Randy Lindsay

The Stranger in My Genes—a memoir by Bill Griffeth

The Unraveling: The Price of Silence-Meredith Keller

Turning My Pieces Into Peace—Annette James 

Uprooted--Peter J. Boni

Who Even Am I Anymore, a process journal for Adoptee, Late Discovery Adoptee, Donor Conceived, NPE and MPE Community-Created by Eve Sturges, MA, LMFT

You'll Forget This Ever Happened: Secrets, Shame, and Adoption in the 1960's -Laura L. Engel

Movies/Documentaries

Almost Family

Call the Midwife

Council of Dads 

Finding Your Roots (PBS)

Genetic Detective 

Hart of Dixie 

Horse Girl (DNA obsessed girl is the story line)

Long Lost Family 

Live Lights Hanukkah

Mothers and Daughters

Mama Mia 

Our Wild Hearts

Reckoning (has an NPE twist)

Sisters (there are 2 versions)

Stories We Tell

Switched at Birth 

Taken at Birth 

Tell Me Who I Am

The Trial 

The Wish Man

Three Identical Strangers 

Podcasts

Conversations About Adoption with Jan Matthews

CutOff Genes with Julie Dixon Jackson and Richard Castle 

DNA Surprises with Alexis Hourselt

DNA Clarity and Support with Brianne

Everything's Relative with Eve Sturges

Family Secrets with Dani Shapiro 

Missing Pieces NPE Life with Don Anderson

Long Lost Sisters Podcast - Licia and Kyle 

Luke Who is Your Father? Rikki Jump, Julianne Scavo, and Kendall Scavo

NPE Stories hosted by Lily Wood

Pulled by the Root with Heidi Marble - Alysa Zalma MD - Stephanie Pipes - Sean Farley

Shaking the Family Tree with Raychel V

The Bradley Hall Show with Bradley Hall 

The Secret in My DNA hosted by Michele Pare

Unfinished Truths by Jennifer Carraher

Who Am I Really?  Damon L. Davis 

You Look Like Me - Louise McLoughlin

Websites

cutoffgenes.com

dnangels.org

Evesturges.la

fiftypercentunknown.family.blog

leeannrhay.com 

npefellowship,org

righttoknow.us

Thebradleyhall.com

Severancemag.com

shakingthefamilytree.net 

watersheddna.com

Commonly Used Acronyms

AF-Adoptive Father

AI-artificial insemination

AID-artificial insemination by donor

AM-Adoptive Mother

AP-Adoptive Parents

ART-artificial/assisted reproductive technology 

BF-Birth Father

BM-Birth Mother

BCF-Birth Certificate Father

BCM-Birth Certificate Mother 

BRW-Brother raised with

Biosplaining-For people who don't have a clue telling us how we should feel

cM-centimorgans 

DC-donor conceived

DCI-donor conceived individual

DCP-donor conceived person

DTD-do the deed

FIL-Father-in-law

FRM-Father raised me

FOMO-fear of missing out

HB-half brother

HS-half sister 

IUF-in utero fertilization

IUI-intrauterine insemination

IVF-in vitro fertilization

LDA-late discovery adoptee

MIL-Mother-in-law

MRM-Mother raised me

MPE-misattributed parental event

NDB-newly discovered brother 

NDS-newly discovered sister

NPE-non paternal event

POC-product of conception

SF-Step Father

SM-Step Mother

SRW-Sister raised with

Laws around adoption, etc .are different in each state.

Links to the State Bar websites in the U.S.

 

Alabama https://www.alabar.org/

Alaska https://alaskabar.org/

Arizona https://www.azbar.org/for-the-public/legal-help-education/find-a-lawyer/

Arkansas https://www.arkbar.com/home

California https://www.calbar.ca.gov/

Colorado https://www.cobar.org/

Connecticut https://www.ctbar.org/

Delaware https://www.dsba.org/

Florida https://www.floridabar.org/

Georgia https://www.gabar.org/

Hawaii https://hsba.org/

Idaho https://isb.idaho.gov/

Illinois https://www.isba.org/

Indiana https://www.inbar.org/

Iowa https://www.iowabar.org/

Kansas https://www.ksbar.org/

Kentucky https://www.kybar.org/

Louisiana https://www.lsba.org/

Maine https://www.mainebar.org/

Maryland https://www.msba.org/

Massachusetts https://www.massbbo.org/

Michigan https://www.michbar.org/

Minnesota https://www.mnbar.org/

Mississippi https://www.msbar.org/

Missouri https://mobar.org/

Montana https://www.montanabar.org/

Nebraska https://www.nebar.com/

Nevada https://www.nvbar.org/

New Hampshire https://www.nhbar.org/

New Jersey https://tcms.njsba.com/PersonifyEbusiness/default.aspx

New Mexico https://www.nmbar.org/

New York https://nysba.org/

North Carolina https://www.ncbar.gov/

North Dakota https://www.sband.org/

Ohio https://www.ohiobar.org/

Oklahoma https://www.okbar.org/

Oregon https://www.osbar.org/index.html

Pennsylvania https://www.pabar.org/site/

Rhode Island https://ribar.com/

South Carolina https://www.scbar.org/

South Dakota https://www.statebarofsouthdakota.com/

Tennessee https://www.tba.org/

Texas https://www.texasbar.com/

Utah https://www.utahbar.org/

Vermont https://www.vtbar.org/

Virginia https://www.vsb.org/

Washington https://www.wsba.org/

West Virginia https://wvbar.org/

Wisconsin https://www.wisbar.org/Pages/default.aspx

Wyoming https://www.wyomingbar.org/


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