Edward Looney

Episode 39: Maryssa Drove 8½ Hours to Meet the Family She Never Knew

October 19th, 2026  |  38 mins 51 secs

Maryssa shares the challenges of growing up without knowing her full family history, the reality of closed adoptions, and what happened when someone unexpectedly reached out with information about her mother's family. She describes the experience of seeing a photograph of someone she was related to, reaching out to her biological mother, and discovering a paternal family that welcomed her.

Episode 38: Teresa's Story Has a Twist 20 Years Later...

April 14th, 2025  |  38 mins 43 secs

In this heartfelt episode of DNA Discoveries, Teresa opens up about her decades-long journey to uncover the truth about her biological roots. Adopted as an infant and raised in a loving home, she began searching for her birthmother in her 20s with very little to go on. A chance encounter with a private investigator set in motion a chain of events no one could have predicted.

From emotional first meetings to DNA results that raised more questions than answers, Teresa’s story is a powerful reminder of the complexity of identity, the courage it takes to seek the truth, and the surprising ways family can expand.

Whether you’re part of the adoptee, NPE (Not Parent Expected), or DNA testing community—or simply drawn to incredible real-life stories—this conversation is one you won’t forget.

Episode 37: Jeremy Considers His DNA Discovery a Love Story

March 24th, 2025  |  57 mins 48 secs

Episode 36: The Secret of Mike's Dad Didn't Go to the Grave

February 3rd, 2025  |  33 mins 12 secs

In this compelling episode of DNA Discoveries, Mike shares his life-changing journey of uncovering a family secret that didn’t go to the grave. Through an autosomal DNA test, he discovered that the man listed on his birth certificate wasn’t his biological father. Mike opens up about the shock, the emotional impact of untold family history, and the bittersweet realization that he could have met his real father if he had known sooner.

Listen as he recounts the surprising connections he found within his newfound family, the challenges of processing this revelation, and the unexpected DNA twist that led him to a brother he never knew existed. With deep personal reflection, Mike explores how this discovery reshaped his relationships, the reactions of friends and coworkers, and the comfort he found in podcasts like DNA Discoveries.

If you've ever wondered about the power of DNA in uncovering hidden truths, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear Mike’s heartfelt message to those holding onto family secrets—before it's too late.

Episode 35: Duane Found His Unwed Mother

January 6th, 2025  |  40 mins 35 secs

Many decades ago, unwed mothers were sent away to boarding homes and hospitals and ultimately would give their child up for adoption. Duane knew that his biological mother was one of those unwed mothers. In this episode of DNA Discoveries, Duane shares how he went about finding her, the reactions of his adoptive family, and other discoveries he found along the way.

Episode 34: Karen Kingsbury's Novel, Now Turned Movie, Tells the Story of Unexpectedly Finding Family

April 2nd, 2024  |  13 mins 59 secs

movie

Christian novel writer, Karen Kingsbury has adapted her novel to a feature film, "Someone Like You." It is a story of embryo adoption and how one of the characters finds out the info about her adoption, how she receives it, and how she processes it. It's a story of finding family on the big screen, and it's' in theaters beginning April 2. Check your local listings.

Episode 33: Lisa Was a Super Sleuth and Found An Uncle

March 15th, 2024  |  1 hr 36 mins

uncle

In this episode, Lisa shares her story of how she came to know about a new family member, and how she went about searching and finding information. She figured it out and has been in touch with the new found family and was able to confirm all the facts surrounding the story.

Episode 32: Bryan and Sandra Share How, As a Couple, They Welcomed and Accepted Bryan's Daughter

February 13th, 2024  |  41 mins 3 secs

father, husband and wife

Bryan and Sandra enjoyed watching tv shows about finding family. Little did they know that one day they would have a story to tell. In a joint conversation, they together share the story of Bryan finding out he had a daughter from his younger days and how as a husband and wife they accepted her into their family. Get ready for a beautiful and inspiring story!

Episode 31: Barbara Lane's Quest to Find Her Long Lost Sisters Separated in Childhood after Abandonment

January 4th, 2024  |  46 mins 23 secs

book interview

Barbara has a story that you won't believe. Her mother abandoned her and her sibling in their house. Child services became involved, and several of the children were separated from each other. In her memoir "Broken Water" she shares how she searched for her ten sisters and in this episode she shares many details of her life story. It's a story of finding family!

Episode 30: Robert Found a Nephew...Or Did He?

December 7th, 2023  |  36 mins 34 secs

I've known Robert for years since I worked in his community. He reached out on Facebook to tell me he had his own DNA Discovery and would be happy to share it on the podcast. He shares about his adoption and how he happened upon his nephew. Or did he?

Episode 29: Robin Schepper Found Her Way and the Identity of Her Bio Dad

November 8th, 2023  |  44 mins 18 secs

book interview

Robin Schepper grew up not knowing who her biological father was, though her mother wanted her to lie and tell people her step-father was. Different names circulated as to who her brith father was, from the name of the birth certificate to another name suggested by her grandmother. Robin shares her story of identifying her biological father on this episode of DNA Discoveries.

Episode 28: Bridget Found Family That Looked Like Her

October 4th, 2023  |  39 mins 52 secs

npe

Bridget discovered she was an NPE and shares with listeners what that meant for her, her family, how she coped, how she met her new relatives, and how she moved on after the news.

Episode 27: Carmen Rita Wong Asks the Question "Why Didn't You Tell Me?"

September 15th, 2023  |  40 mins 38 secs

father, npe

Carmen Rita Wong is an American radio, television and online journalist, and personal finance expert at CNBC who also has been on quite the family roller coaster wide related to the identity of her father. Raised by a Chinese a father, she presumed he was her father, only to be told someone else was, and then had that rug pulled out from under her feet one day by surprise. Carmen offers profound insights into her journey that are sure to inspire others in a similar situation.

Episode 26: John Found His Father-in-Law's Long Lost Brother and Doesn't Have a Happy Ending Yet

September 1st, 2023  |  33 mins 12 secs

autosomal dna discovery

This episode is unique for a few reasons. First, John is sharing his wife's story. Second, the story doesn't have a happy ending of family uniting and relationships forming. This is a story that is left to speculation and waiting. But what is certain, is that he found the relative and no one wants to talk about. it.

Episode 25: How Jon Baime Filled in the Blanks and Documented it Along the Way

August 18th, 2023  |  23 mins 22 secs

donor conceived

Jon Baime has been helping people tell their stories about anything under the sun through his work in media. But after taking an autosomal DNA test, he now had a story to document and tell--he was donor conceived. His documentary, Filling in the Blanks, is now available on streaming platforms. In this interview, you will hear parts of Jon's story, but you will want to stream the documentary for the full story.

Episode 24: Kim Found Our Her Dad was the Brother of Her Mom's Best Friend

August 1st, 2023  |  32 mins 34 secs

biodad

Kim's presumed father died before she was born. Years later she took her autosomal dna test and learned the identity of her father. She shares her story in this episode of DNA Discoveries.