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Family Twist: A Podcast Exploring DNA Surprises and Family Secrets — History
Family Twist: A Podcast Exploring DNA Surprises and Family Secrets

Welcome to Family Twist, the podcast that dives deep into the tangled webs of family secrets and DNA surprises. Each episode, hosts Corey and Kendall Austin Stulce explore the complex and challenging truths that come with discovering you are a non-parent expected (NPE) individual, someone whose familial origins aren’t what they seemed.

Through candid interviews with people from the NPE, adoptee, and donor-conceived communities, Family Twist offers a platform for stories of unexpected parentage, family secrets, and the quest for identity. From the joyful to the heartbreaking, our guests share their journeys of discovery, acceptance, and healing.

Why subscribe? Family Twist isn’t just another family history podcast. It’s a support network, a place for healing, and a beacon for anyone navigating the emotional landscape of familial discoveries. Whether you’re directly impacted by these issues or just fascinated by the profound effects of family secrets, this podcast provides insights and company as you journey through the often-unspoken parts of family life.

Join us as we unravel the hidden threads of the past, bringing them into the light to foster understanding and connection. Hit subscribe to never miss an episode of Family Twist — where family stories are heard, secrets are revealed, and healing begins. And remember, family secrets are the ultimate plot twist!

Latest Episodes:

Bonus: NPE's Shocking Discovery Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Bonus: NPE's Shocking Discovery

In this episode of Family Twist, we welcome Jeremy Bryant, a fellow podcaster, to share his remarkable story.
Jeremy's story is a unique and intricate journey that involves family twists, revelations, and a connection to the paranormal.

00:29 - Jeremy's Background

Jeremy's upbringing as a typical white suburban American kid.
His parents' divorce during his adolescence, leading to a pivotal revelation.

01:27 - A Startling Revelation

Jeremy's mother's decision to share a secret with her children.
The shocking discovery that Jeremy's father was not his biological parent.
The revelation that Jeremy and his brother were conceived using a sperm donor due to his father's cancer treatment.

02:57 - Genetic Origins

The discovery of the truth behind Jeremy's genetic heritage.
The emotional reaction of his father upon learning that the secret had been uncovered.

03:57 - The Beginnings of a New Journey

Jeremy's decision to explore his genetic roots and history.
The purchase of ancestry tests for himself and his mother, leading to unexpected results.

05:26 - Uniting with Half-Siblings

A message from a stranger suggesting a possible connection between Jeremy and his half-siblings.
The formation of a group chat with half-siblings, revealing a larger extended family.
The challenges and complexity of navigating newfound relationships.

06:51 - Donor's Background

Insights into the donor's background, including his role as a medical student.
The intriguing connections and similarities between Jeremy and the donor.
The donor's role in the family's lives, even though they never met him in person.

09:01 - Perspectives on the Discovery

Jeremy's mother's perspective on the newfound connections with half-siblings.
The absence of ill feelings regarding the donor's role in their lives.
Comparing their unique situation to more turbulent family revelations.

10:40 - Family Secrets and Discoveries

A discussion about the common theme of hidden family secrets.
The importance of honest communication when revealing such secrets.

12:08 - The Method of Discovery

How Jeremy's sister found out about the donor through a family tree on Ancestry.
The role of relatives in unraveling the genetic connections.

14:09 - Reunion Plans

Considerations of a reunion with all half-siblings.
The challenges of coordinating such a gathering due to busy lives and responsibilities.

15:32 - Perspectives on the Podcast

Jeremy's half-siblings' reactions to his podcast, "Paranormal: The New Normal."
The diverse interests and views among the siblings regarding the paranormal.

16:29 - Supernatural Experiences

Jeremy's own experiences living in a haunted house.
Stories of unusual events, including the deaths of chickens and strange dog behavior.

19:01 - Aspirations for Future Relationships

Jeremy's hopes to meet his half-siblings and get to know them better.
Balancing his podcasting endeavors and personal life with the desire for family connections.

20:57 - Lack of Donor's Knowledge

Clarification that sperm donors typically do not receive information about successful pregnancies.
Hypothetical discussions about the number of half-siblings potentially related to the donor.

21:26 - Closing Remarks

The incredible and intricate story of Jeremy Bryant, encompassing family secrets, newfound connections, and a passion for the paranormal.

This episode of Family Twist offers a glimpse into Jeremy's unique journey, revealing the complexity of family dynamics and the unexpected twists life can bring.

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The Fight for Donor-Conceived Rights Part 2 Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

How would you feel if a DNA test revealed you had over a hundred half-siblings?

In part two of Amber’s story, Corey and Kendall delve deeper into the world of donor conception and the complex emotions and legal battles that come with it. Amber shares her journey of discovering numerous half-siblings, the challenges of forming new relationships, and her ongoing advocacy for better regulations in the fertility industry. This episode sheds light on the urgent need for transparency and ethical practices in donor conception.

Key Benefits for Listeners:

Emotional Insight: Understand the emotional impact of discovering new family members through donor conception and how to navigate these complex relationships.
Advocacy and Awareness: Learn about the current legal landscape and the push for better regulations to protect donor-conceived individuals.
Practical Advice: Gain practical tips for anyone going through a similar journey of discovering donor-conceived siblings or considering donor conception.

Listen to Amber’s compelling story and join the conversation about the need for transparency and ethical practices in the fertility industry!

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The Fight for Donor-Conceived Rights Part 1 Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

What would you do if a simple DNA test revealed that everything you knew about your identity was a lie?

In this episode, Corey and Kendall Stulce sit down with Amber Von Moesner to unravel her incredible journey of discovering she was donor conceived. Amber shares her emotional rollercoaster from the moment she received unexpected DNA results to the heartwarming reconnection with her biological father and half-siblings. This episode delves deep into the complexities of identity, the impact of long-held family secrets, and the profound connections that can emerge from the most unexpected revelations.

The Fight for Donor-Conceived Rights Part 1

Key Benefits for Listeners:

Navigating Family Secrets: Learn how to cope with and understand the impact of discovering life-altering family secrets.
Understanding Donor Conception: Gain insight into the emotional and practical aspects of donor conception, from both the donor's and the child's perspectives.
Building New Relationships: Discover the possibilities and challenges of forming relationships with newfound biological family members.

Join us to hear Amber's fascinating story of uncovering her true heritage and the surprising, heartwarming connections she made along the way!

Amber on Twitter

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Donor Conceived Sisters Reunite as Triplets Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

What if you discovered you were a triplet, separated at birth, and had siblings living just miles away?

Join Corey and Kendall Stulce as they delve into an extraordinary story with guests Kenny, Ricky, and Jules, who host the podcast "Luke, Who is Your Father?" These triplets, separated at birth, share their emotional journey of discovering each other and reconnecting despite the odds. From the initial revelation to forming lasting bonds and uncovering their shared past, this episode explores the deep, complex emotions and experiences of reuniting with long-lost family.

Key Benefits for Listeners:

Emotional Connection: Gain insight into the powerful emotions involved in discovering and reuniting with long-lost family members.
Understanding Complex Family Dynamics: Learn about the intricacies of family relationships, especially in the context of adoption and donor conception.
Inspiration and Hope: Find inspiration in the resilience and determination of individuals seeking to reconnect and build relationships despite difficult circumstances.

Tune in to hear the heartwarming and transformative journey of triplets separated at birth and discover how family bonds can be rekindled against all odds!

Guest bios from Luke Who is Your Father website:

Jules is Baby A- 31 years old, the hellraiser, idea-haver, “act first, ask questions later” problem child of the trio. She’s quick to crack a joke or challenge you to a competition. She is seasoned in sales and has found a home in the Med-Tech industry. She lives with her equally mischievous partner and their four cats in Southeast Austin. You can find her doom-scrolling Tik-Tok, creating mixed-media art projects, or scouring the city for the best seafood platter- all of which is a lot more mild-mannered than what she used to get up to.

Kenny is Baby B—31 years old, the mediator, peacemaker, Oreo center of the trio. She’s a little more reserved, but blunt and sarcastic with a bit of a dry sense of humor. She is the Senior Graphic Designer for the Cyber Intelligence Team of a world renowned cyber security company where she has worked for about a year and a half. Kenny lives with her boyfriend and partner-in-crime along with two rescue pups in their home in South Austin. You can find Kenny frequenting the local dives, poorly playing pool, catching up on the massive quantities of content on streaming services, or searching out any body of water within 100 miles.

Rikki is Baby C—31 years old and a true Cancer— bold and brazen on the outside, soft and emo on the inside. She is Head of Sales at Scribe Media (our pod producer) and has been with the company for four years. Rikki shares her home in Austin with two dogs, a cat, and her boyfriend, Collin. Collin is the caretaker of the home, and Rikki is the curator. She is always on the lookout for anything that can make her house look more like a dreamy 70s bungalow. In her free time, Rikki enjoys reading (mostly horror), watching movies (mostly horror), rowing on Town Lake, and eating at all of Austin’s best new restaurants.

Guest links:

Luke Who is Your Father website

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Bonus: Kendall Remembers Magical Calendar Dates Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Kendall and Corey talk about seven different significant events from Aug. 11 to Sept. 4, and why we celebrate and remember them.

Bonus: Talking Sordid Lives with the Late, Great and Golden Rue McClanahan Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

We were inspired to dig up this interview after we spoke to writer-producer-director Del Shores, creator of "Sordid Lives." This bonus episode is an interview Corey did with the legendary Rue McClanahan, discussing her role as Peggy in the TV series, "Sordid Lives." We hope you enjoy this never-before-published interview. (The audio isn't great as it's a 15-year-old audio recording.)

Sordid Stories with Del Shores Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Sordid Stories with Del Shores

Kendall and Corey met when Corey performed in Del Shores' play, "Sordid Lives." We were fortunate enough to befriend Del and share some amazing moments with him and his collaborators, including Leslie Jordan, Ann Walker and Beth Grant.

In this episode, Kendall and Del discuss their similarities including growing up in the Southern Baptist church, marrying women and the challenges of being gay in the South.

The Del Shores Foundation: LGBTQ

Del Shores' website

Guest bio:

Del Shores is the writer/director/producer of the films Sordid Lives, Blues for

Willadean, Southern Baptist Sissies and A Very Sordid Wedding. He wrote and

executive produced the MGM feature Daddy's Dyin';...Who's Got The Will? His

plays Cheatin’, Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s Got The Will?), Daughters of the Lone Star

State, Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer

Trash Housewife, Yellow, This Side of Crazy and A Very Sordid Wedding are all

published by Concord/Samuel French. In television, Del Shores wrote, directed,

executive produced and created the LOGO series, Sordid Lives: The Series. He also

wrote and executive produced Showtime's groundbreaking Queer As Folk for the

last three seasons, wrote and produced for Dharma & Greg and Ned & Stacey.

He has directed Academy Award winners Octavia Spencer and Whoopi Goldberg,

Grammy Award winner Olivia Newton-John; Emmy winners/nominees Beau

Bridges, Delta Burke, Leslie Jordan, Bonnie Bedelia, Bobbie Eakes, Patrika Darbo

and Rue McClanahan; Spirit Award winner Dale Dickey; Screen Actor's Guild

Award-winner Beth Grant; as well as Caroline Rhea, Debby Holiday and David

Steen.

As a performer, Shores has performed in hundreds of standup gigs and in 2018

completed a national tour of his critically acclaimed award-winning one-man

play Six Characters In Search Of A Play directed by Emerson Collins. The play was

filmed and is now streaming worldwide. His standup shows Del Shores: My

Sordid Life Del Shores: Sordid Confessions and Del Shores: Naked.Sordid.Reality

were filmed, also directed by Collins, and are distributed by Breaking Glass

Pictures. His tenth play A Very Sordid Wedding (based on his 2017 film) had its

world premiere September 2021, playing to sold out houses at Kalita Humphries

Theatre in Dallas for Uptown Players. Shores directed. In November 2021, he

directed his eleven play In Memoriam of Lena at Northwestern State University in

Natchitoches, Louisiana where his has teaches Playwriting and Acting For The

Camera yearly as a guest artist. Lena marked his first world premiere with a cast

of students. Shores has won multiple awards for his plays and films, including a

GLAAD Award, an NAACP Award and a LA Weekly Lifetime Achievement award

winner. In 2023 he was awarded The Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award by LA’s

The Celebration Theatre.

Shores shares the passion of The Del Shores Foundation in “finding and

facilitating success for the next generation of Southern LGBTQ+ writers.”

(delshoresfoundation.org). Shores resides in Los Angeles with his three little

bitches Bitsy Mae, Gracie Louise and Sissy Marie. He is the proud father of two

grown daughters Rebecca and Caroline.

Better Late Than Never; Finding Family in Italy Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

Bob Sorrentino is the adoptive father of two, and the host of the podcast, Italian Genealogy With Bob Sorrentino. Bob always knew his four grandparents all came from Italy, but after a DNA test, he found family he didn't know existed in the country. "Better late than never," is an Italian phrase that sums up Bob's journey. The stories he heard from his new family are too wild to be coincidences.

"The most amazing part of the meeting was a photo of my parents' wedding with my grandmother's handwriting in Italian on the back. Blows you away," Bob said.

Guest bio: Robert Sorrentino is a retired bank executive that has now devoted his life to Italian roots and genealogy. Robert has a blog, podcast and YouTube channel.

Bob's book, "Farmers and Nobles: The Genealogy History of Two Italian American Families"

Bob's podcast, Italian Genealogy With Bob Sorrentino

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NPE: Jon Baime's Documentary is Filling in the Blanks Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

Our guest, Jon Baime, is the writer, producer and director of the documentary, "Filling in the Blanks." After taking a DNA test five years ago, Jon discovered he and his two brothers were the result of donor conception. To process the revelation, Jon decided to make a film, which includes his story, his brothers' stories and several other stories from NPEs (non-paternity event), who turn out to be Jon's half siblings.

"Filling in the Blanks" description: Where do I come from? For some, the question has a simple answer - for others, the truth can be much more complicated. With the rise in popularity of at-home DNA tests, it's now easier than ever for people to uncover their family history and, sometimes, things their parents wish would stay buried. Interested in learning more about his family heritage, director Jon Baime took an at-home DNA test and uncovered a family secret that has been hidden for half a century. Featuring in-depth interviews with Jon's siblings as well as a treasure trove of family photos and films spanning 70 years, "Filling in the Blanks" takes audiences on a journey as Jon explores the meaning behind his discovery and expands on what it means to be family.

Filling in the Blanks trailer

"Filling in the Blanks" on Apple TV

"Filling in the Blanks" on VUDU

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Discovering the Miracle of Family in the Garbage Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Jimmy Amisial's life was changed forever. In 2017, he was home in Haiti visiting from the U.S. where he was studying. On New Year's Eve, Jimmy discovered a crowd making a commotion. There was a naked baby, screaming, in a pile of garbage. The people gathered around thought the child was cursed so they wouldn't touch him. The baby was in distress, covered in fire ants. Jimmy saw a precious living soul, and he knew he had to save the baby. Soon, Jimmy was asked to become the permanent caregiver for the baby, the most-difficult decision Jimmy ever had to make. Jimmy shares what happens next in this episode.

Jimmy Amisial's Instagram

4thelovefoundation

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