I’m Talona Davis, an interior design studio owner in Chicago’s West suburbs with a background in Civil Engineering. My life took an unexpected turn in 2017 when I discovered, at 39, that the man I knew as my father wasn’t my biological parent. This revelation came four months after his passing and led me on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

Determined to find answers and heal, I created my own support network. Through this process, I encountered DNA Angels who guided me through ancestry.com and 23andMe to locate my closest relatives. This journey led me to a first cousin, then to my biological sister, and ultimately to my biological father. I was fortunate to have two years with him before his passing, grateful for the opportunity to form a relationship and peacefully participate in his home going ceremony.

My personal experience with the complexities of NPE (Not Parent Expected) discovery has become the cornerstone of my life’s work. I’ve dedicated myself to supporting others navigating similar journeys, understanding firsthand the emotional turmoil and challenges that come with such revelations. Whether families choose to embrace newfound relatives or not, I strive to be a source of support and guidance, offering resources to help others navigate the myriad emotions and practical considerations that arise from these discoveries.

I believe that everyone deserves the chance to know their biological roots and to have support as they process this life-changing information. Through my own healing journey, I’ve discovered that helping others is my gift to the world. Happily married for nearly 20 years with three beautiful children, I’m committed to being a compassionate mentor and guide, assisting fellow NPEs in finding peace, understanding, and hopefully, healing in their own unique situations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I am BettyJo Minardi and I have been on this NPE ( Not Parent Expected) journey for 8 years, with no end in sight as I still have not identified by biological father. My birth story begins in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where I was born and raised until the age of nine. It was then I was uprooted and moved to Minnesota with my family.  As I went through life and grew up, I received my B.A. degree in December of 2000 and majored in Business Communications. Shortly after graduation, I met my 2nd spouse whom I have been happily married to for 20 years. We eventually moved back to Texas in 2009 where we live in Waco, TX with five children, two boys and three girls, ranging from 10-25 years old. My husband is extremely supportive to our family and has been my rock during my early discovery in my NPE journey. I don’t know what I would have done without his unwavering support and having someone to talk to about it. 

As I processed my own journey, I realized I wanted to give back to the NPE Community so I began volunteering with NPEN mentoring those who are lost in the throes of their own story. It has been a joy to do this and be a support to others who feel all alone. I am thankful for the opportunity and helping anyone that may need a listening ear. I hope to be an encouragement and am currently working on my memoir to tell me story in hopes that it will help others.

As a stay at home mom, I run a small at home bakery/homemade crafts business. I love to read, learn, draw, paint, cook and exercise. I enjoy reading books about self-care and trauma as a way to help myself, but also assist others as they navigate their own DNA journey. Being a mentor comes easy for me as I am an empathetic person, who likes to help people. It bothers me to see others hurting and I’m excited to assist them along their journey.

I’m Brian Taylor, an IT manager for a large utility company, with a background in IT Engineering and Development.  I had always wondered growing up why I didn’t quite fit in or why I looked different from most of the family.  It was 2020 when I found out that I was an NPE ( Non parental event) after taking a DNA test with my brother who I grew up with.  I remember that day very vividly as the news was very crushing for us both.  

It took me about six months before I would find Alesia Weiss, an advocate and nurse who also had an NPE, and the angel DNA team who would be able to locate my biological father.  With that discovery came two more siblings.  The last four years have been more than I could ever ask for, as I have got to spend it with my biological father and my new siblings.  It has been especially good for me because growing up the man who I knew as dad was not a great person, so finding out about my biological father was truly a gift.

I do know a good portion of our NPE community has not had as good of a story as myself and it is one of the many reasons I hope I can be of help to those who are just discovering this news.
If I can assist anyone with their journey, it would be a privilege.  I remember feeling so alone, and thinking I was the only one going through this process.  It was the worst feeling I had ever experienced and I don’t want anyone to go through that alone. 

I’m Sabrina Carlin, a high school world languages teacher in the suburbs just outside of Seattle. Having grown up in an Air Force family, I have always had a keen interest in travel and other cultures. I spent my twenties and early thirties studying, teaching and living outside the US. After my husband and I started a family, I became interested in learning more about my own heritage. Conversations with my grandmothers usually ended in frustration at the lack of interest in knowing where we came from. When DNA tests became easily affordable, I thought it would be fun to find out exactly where our roots hailed from. Little did I know how much my life would change by signing up for a test kit! 

I originally tested with Ancestry in 2012 and was somewhat shocked to discover that I shared nearly 94% DNA with those who currently live in the British Isles, and a smattering of the rest was from Scandinavia. It just seemed a bit too narrow of a range of geographic places for someone whose family had (purportedly) been in North America since the mid 1600’s! It wasn’t until early 2017 that I discovered a man I had barely heard of listed as my father in my matches. He had been given a test kit for Christmas and had only just received the results. He was living in Australia and his parents were from the UK and Ireland. My DNA test results finally made sense! It was only then that I learned I was an NPE and there was a completely new side to my identity that I knew nothing about. 

Fortunately, I was able to get to know my biological father and the rest of the family. I knew from the start that he suffered from prostate cancer and that our time would be very limited. Sadly, he passed away in April 2023. I feel extremely lucky to have found him and to be able to spend some time with him and other family members, which was somewhat of a challenge given the physical distance and Covid restrictions. Thank goodness for FaceTime!  

This experience has been eye-opening, awe-inspiring and bittersweet, as not all of my family members have been supportive. Initially, I was shocked and embarrassed and I did not know who to talk to. It was only after reading the article about NPEs in The Atlantic that I had any idea that there were support groups for people just like myself! Being a mentor has been immensely healing for me and has allowed me to channel my energies into helping others who are in similar situations. Many of us are in desperate need of validation and need someone who can listen with empathy. It is my goal to help others in their journey towards self-acceptance and peace. 

I am Kim Neese and I am living with an NPE experience. In 2018 after taking a 23andMe test, I discovered that my DAD is not my FATHER. My oldest sister had taken the same DNA test just a few weeks before I did so when mine came in, she showed up as a half sister. After verifying the DNA test was in fact telling the truth, we confronted my mom via phone and she admitted that my DAD was not my FATHER. While this was sad and earth shattering news, I wasn’t totally shocked. Why? 1. My DAD, while in the hospital and in a delusional state, when we told him that mom assured us we all five belong to him, looked up at us (my oldest sister and I) with a straight face and said, “Don’t believe everything your mother says.”  That was about 1-2 weeks before he died in 2018. Two little things in life started to make sense. My skin tone is different from my four siblings. My hair is not graying as fast or in the same pattern as theirs. My personality is much more prude than theirs. Yes, all my life it’s been this way. 

My mom has memory problems (she is 80) and was unable to give me a name. Just a description of tall, blonde, tan, and good looking.  I searched and researched for four solid months, building family trees of people I didn’t know, colored note cards stuck to my refrigerator, pages and pages of a spiral notebook filled with Centimorgans and percentages and lines going everywhere…all while working full time. I lost many hours of sleep during that time! Finally! I found him. He was a one-time fling with my married mother who was 21 at the time with three small kids. My DAD was on the road with work, a lot! My FATHER had passed away in 2015, so, there was no chance of meeting him. His family “had no obligation to me” so they were not welcoming. In 2023 his brother finally agreed to a DNA test to confirm the relationship, for me and him. He doesn’t talk to me but once a year, or so. Usually a Christmas card or something. 

I am a survivor! I have been able to help people along the way including a half-aunt that I was able to connect to my biological family. She looks exactly like my bio-grandfather did when they were younger. It seems he didn’t know about her either. I was also able to walk a member of my husband’s family through his initial discovery. I have listened for hours to other NPEs who felt all the emotions we all experience on our journey. I have a husband and two grown daughters that love me and are supportive of my NPE life.