It's In Your DNA

Dawn grew up oversees in Kenya with the parents who raised her-until one quiet realization changed everything: she didn't look like them.  That question led her to uncover her adoption, find both of her birth parents, and build a life changing relationship with her birth father that continues today.  Later, in a powerful full circle moment, Dawn adopted her half sister's son as her own.  This is a story of identity, reunion, and the beautiful ways family cn be formed.

After 17 years of infertility and PCOS, Jennifer never imagined motherhood would come through a miracle adoption or that it would be twins. In this episode, she shares the moment their birth mom chose them, what t was like bringing both girls home from the hospital, and the unexpected twists that followed. 

At nine years old, Theresa learned the truth that changed everything, the woman she knew as her babysitter was actuall her biological mother, and the "brother" she grew up with was her father.  Raised by grandparents, she was given stability and love, but also carried a secret she didn't ask for.  In this episode, Teresa shares the moment her world shifted, how she procesed the truth, and what it meants to reclaim your identity as an adoptee. 

When Sarah said yes to fostering, she had no idea how much it would change her heart, and her definition of family.  A mom of two biological boys, she and her husband opened their hoe to children from newborns to teens, each one leaving a lasting mark.  In this episode, Sarah shares the highs and heartbreaks of foster care and how love can reach far beyond DNA. 

When Cynthia began to unravel her family's past, she discovered more then she ever expected...pain,love, and ultimately, peace.  This moving episode she shares how uncovering her story led to healing and understanding, and how God uses even the quiet parts of our stories for good.   

After our mom passed away, my sisters and I thought we knew every part of her story — until our aunt shared a secret that changed everything. In this powerful episode, all three of us come together to talk about the moment we found out we had another sister — one who had been adopted at birth before any of us were born. What began as a season of grief turned into a journey of healing, faith, and connection. Through tears, laughter, and God's perfect timing, we discovered that even in loss, there can be new beginnings. This episode reminds us that family can be found in the most unexpected ways… and that sometimes, the truth doesn't break us — it brings us closer. 🎧 Listen as we share our hearts, our mother's legacy, and the faith that helped us find peace in the middle of the unknown.

After taking a few weeks away, I am back with the most personal episode I have ever shared. In this special tribute, I read the eulogy I wrote and shared at my mom's Celebration of Life.  This time with a little more peac and perspective.  You will hear the story of a woman whose love shaped my life, whose faith inspired me daily and whose stregth carried me through my hardest seasons.   I also open up about how losing her connected to my own adoption story and how caring for her during her illness reminded me that family isn't about DNA, it's about love, devotion, and the people who show up for you everyday. Whether you've walked through loss, caregiving, or rediscovering your roots, my hope is that this episode brings you comfort and reminds you of the beauty of a mother's love-the kind that never really leaves us.

Her search began with loss, but led to discovery and to motherhood in a whole new way:  At 15, she lost the mother who gave her life.  Before ancestory she was led to the exact drawer of the records that revealed birth family.  Meeting her biological siblings was both healing and complicated, but it led her to a deeper understanding of identity and belonging.   Later, she became an adoptive mother to three boys, walking the journey from adoptee to adoptive mom.  This is a powerful story of search, discovery, and the challenges and blessings of a family in all it's forms.  

At just 17 years old, Morgan faced an unexpected pregnancy while finishing high school and dreaming of college.  With courage and love, she chose adoption, not as an ending but as the beginnng of a beautiful open adoption journey.  In this episode, Morgan shares how placing her son with a loving family brought healing, connection, and a lifelong bond.  Over the years, she has remained an important part of her son's life and even went on to become a surrogate for the same family.  Her story is one of sacrifice, hope, and the incredible power of adoption to create families and lasting love. 

Morgan grew up in what looked like a picture perfect childhood-successful, supported, and loved.  Something always felt a little off.  She never had baby photos, only photos starting at age four.  At 23 years old, Morgan learned the truth.  She had been adopted after living in foster care for the first four years of her life. Her story is one of God's pefect timing.  What could have been devastating instead led to a beautiful reunion and a powerful testimony of God's protection.  In discovering the reality of her adoption, Morgan also uncovered the greater story...how God shielded her from what she might have endured with her biological family and instead wrote a new beginning filled with love and grace. 

Today's conversation with Donna feels like a string of divine appointments.  We discovered that both of our fathers were stationed at the same Air Force base and that we were both conceived in Omaha, Nebraska.  We also share another tender thead, mothers who battled glioblastoma and in a wild twist, parts of Donna's biological family live in my own backyard here in Middle Tennessee.  Donna was adopted not once, but twice and has caried three maiden names.  After years of dead ends, she was struck by a photo of her son, looking stringlingly like the grandfather he never met and this nudged her to try DNA in 2017.  That test opened a door to cousins, aunts, and uncles who welcomed her with love and to a heartbreaking truth.  This is a heartwarming story about courage, identity, and how God's timing stitches broken pieces together.  If today's episode stirred something in you, I'd love to hear your story.    

Jacy and her identicl twin sister always never knew who their birth father was but never asked until age 23.  DNA revealed the truth her mother still denies, and the man she reached out to refuses to speak.  Left with silennce instead of answers, she's still asking:  Why won't anyone just tell me? Raised by a single mom until age five, then adoped by the man who became "Dad" at seven, she and her identical twin sister lived a happy childhood without many questions about their origins.  When she decided to dive into Ancestory DNA and family trees, the results pointed directly to a man her mother knew well.  Even when confronted, her mom still denied ever being with him.  When she reached out to this man, his silence only deepened the mystery. Still left with no medical history or acknowledgment, she continues searching for the truth her mother refuses to give her.   This episolde explores what happens when the desire for answers collides with secrets, and how DNA can open doors some still try to keep locked. 

When sisters set out to trace their father's DNA, they expected to find famiy.  Instead, they uncovered one of the darkest secrets in American adoption history.  Their father was a "Georgia Tann baby", stolen from his mother in the 1940's by the woman who ran one of the first large scale child trafficking rings in the U.S., the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Sold to a family in Nashville under falsified records, he never knew the truth.  By the time they discovered it, Alzheimer's had stolen his ability to fully undrstnd that his birth mother had wanted him and had never willingly let him go. This episode unravels a personal story woven into a national scandal, where thousands of children were taken from loving parents and sold for profit.  It's a conversation about history, injustice, and the legacy of loss-and why telling these stories still matters today. 

In this moving episode of It's In Your DNA, Beth shares a layered adoption story like no other. Adopted at birth and raised in a family where she never quite fit in, Beth's early years were filled with pain, escape, and hardship. At 20, facing her own crisis and without support, she made the heart-wrenching decision to place her baby for adoption. But instead of loss, God wove a story of grace: an open adoption blossomed into a beautiful"sisterhood," with years of shared memories, milestones, and love. Now a mother of two biological children, a Grammy ,and married to a wonderful husband, Beth reflects on the ways God restored what was broken. A DNA test later led her to siblings she never knew and the father she had long wondered about. Beth's journey is a testament that even in the hardest chapters of adoption, redemption, connection, and unexpected blessings can emerge.

Marcus's story begins with loss-given up by his biological mother at one year old, then placed back into foster care after his first adoption fell through. For years, he longed for stability until he was finally adopted at age five by his parents who gave him a loving home. As an adult, Marcus's journey came full circle when he met his half-brother and half-sister, forming an unshakable bond with his sister that brought healing and connection. This episode is a powerful reminder that God's hand is in every detail-turning pain into purpose and showing that family can be found in the most unexpected places.

For 40 years, Jennifer believed she knew who her father was, until an accidental DNA test revealed a shocking truth.  In this emotional episode, she shares how her world was turned upside down, the heartbreak of uncovering a family secret, and the journey of finding peace through faith.  Her story is a powerful reminder that even when life feel uncertain, God is in every detail.

In this emotional episode, Ashley opens up about her journey to find her birth family.  with unanswered questions and prayers still waiting, her story remind us God is present even in the waiting. 

After enduring multiple miscarriages and seasons of unimaginable grief, one woman discovered not only the medical reason behind her losses, but also the redemptive hand of god in forming her family through embryo and egg adoption.  In this tender, faith filled episode, she shares how her heartbreak gave way to healing, how her prayers were answered in unexpected ways, and how every step of her journey points back to God's faithfullness.  If you've ever faced loss, delay, or doubt, this story will remind you that He never wastes a tear.

Sydney was adopted from Korea as a baby, and the moment she met her mom and dad in the U.S., an instant connetion was formed.  In this heartfelt conversation, Syd and her mom share what international adoption looked like from both perspectives-how love built their family and how Sydney continues to explore her Korean heritage today.

Angela spent decades believing one thing, until one day she finally ask her mother the question that changed everything: "Who is my real dad?" After years of secrecy and silence, her search for the truth led to a single photo of the man she never knew and the peace she had been missing.  This is Angela's deeply personal story of identity, deception, and healing.  

The story of Tyler Lamb's adoption, where love, courage, and faith brought two families together for the sake of one child's future.  

In this episode, I'm joined by a woman whose story is unlike any we've shared before.  She wasn't adopted, and she didn't adopt-but she was divinely placed in the middle of three open adoptions, playing a key role in connectin g families and bringing hope where it was needed most.   An powerful reminder that God is in every detail.

In this emotionsal episode, Melissa shares a story of courage and heartbreak.  When she finally traced her biological mother only to find that she had passed, but leading her to a beatiful new chapter of her life with her biological siblings.  Her journey is one of longing, identity, and the need for closure.  Hearing her reflect on how much she looks like the mother she never met and the siblings she now cherishes, is a reminder of how powerful connection can be, even when it comes with pain. This is a story for anyone who's ever wondered where they came from, why things happened the way they did, and how healing can still come through family, faith, and truth. 

Melissa shares a powrful story of strength and courge, one marked by rejection, redemption, and an unexpected connectiom that changed everything.   Her journey is one of raw honesty and quiet strength, ultimately finding God's grace in an unlikely place. 

In this heartfelt episode of Adoption: It's in your DNA, my guest shares her beautiful journey through motherhood, faith, blending a family and adopting two children, one through a closed adoption and the other open.   What unfolds is a powerful story of discernment and divine timing.  She opens up about how prayer and her faith helped her recognize when the moment was right-and how she just knew which baby was meant to be hers.  We explore the surprising joy of open adoption, the emotional complexity of closed adoption, and the way God's hand guided each step of her family's journey. Whether you're a mom considering adoption, or simply drawn to stories of faith and family, this episode will stir your heart and remind yuo that love-and God's perfect timing can make a family in the most unexpected ways.

In this premiere episode of Adopted at Birth, I share my own adoption story, a journey that's unfolded over 54 years and led me to both of my biological parents.   But this story isn't just about finding them.  It's about something deeper: finding peace, finding closure, and trusting that God was in every detail from the very beginning.   From the gift of being placed in a loving home to the long, winding road of self discovery in this stoy of grace, identity, and the quiet miracles that lead us back to who we've always been.

"It's In Your DNA" is a heartwarming podcast that celebrates the unexpected beauty in every family story.  From adoption and DNA discoveries to surprising reunions and nontraditional family journeys, we explore the moments that bring healing, hope, and even a few laughs.  Hosted by an adoptee who found both biological parents, this show is a reminder that no matter how your story began, love always finds a way.  Whether you're walking through it yourself or just love a good, feel good story...you're in the right place.