🧩 In this episode of Missing Pieces, Don sits down with Alison, a sober solo traveler who has explored some of the most remote places in the world. A DNA test she took out of curiosity revealed that the man who raised her was not her biological father—and that the sister she grew up with was actually her half-sister. Alison shares how the discovery shook her identity, led her to two more half-siblings, and forced her to reconsider everything she believed about her family, her heritage and eve...
Aug 2
1 hr 12 min
🧩 In this episode of Missing Pieces, Don sits down with television host, journalist, adoptee, and adoptive mother Lisa Joyner. Lisa shares the story of searching for and meeting both of her biological parents, the emotional impact of finally seeing herself reflected in another person, and how her own adoption experience shaped the way she approached motherhood. They also look back at Long Lost Family, the care that went into those powerful reunions, and Lisa’s new podcast, Plus One with Lisa ...
Jul 8
1 hr 2 min
🧩 Relative Strangers This week on Missing Pieces — NPE Life, Don talks with writer Laura Jenkins, whose essay appears in the new anthology Relative Strangers: Inheritance, Identity, and the Meaning of Kinship, edited by B.K. Jackson. Laura shares her story of discovering she is an NPE and the emotional journey that followed — the shock, the questions, the search for truth, and the complicated process of making sense of identity when the story you were given turns out not to be the whole story...
Jun 27
44 min
🧩 Analog Rick In 1992, Rick set out to find his birth mother’s family without DNA tests, without Ancestry, without 23andMe, without Facebook, and without the internet as we know it. All he had were a few pieces of information, some determination, and the willingness to follow a trail the old-fashioned way. In this episode of Missing Pieces — NPE Life, Rick tells the story of how he found the missing pieces of who he was. And make sure you listen to the end, when Don shares what happened after...
Jun 15
58 min
Veronica From The Other Side In this episode of Missing Pieces — NPE Life, Don talks with Veronica, who discovered in middle age that her father had two children outside of his marriage. For NPEs — Not Parent Expected — adoptees, donor-conceived people, and others who uncover family secrets through DNA, the focus is often on the person making the discovery. But what about the family on the other side? What is it like to get the call that a stranger shares your father’s DNA? What happens when ...
May 31
56 min
🧩 Christina’s Truth - LIVE 🎙️ On today’s episode of Missing Pieces, we hear Christina’s incredible story — the questions, the search, the emotions, and the years spent trying to understand where she came from. But this episode takes a turn neither of us will ever forget… Because during the recording itself… I tell Christina who her biological father is. LIVE. No script. No warning. Just one of the most real and emotional moments we’ve ever captured on this podcast. 🎧 Listen now. ✉️ donNPE@icl...
May 13
47 min
🧩 Jamilia - Out of Anonymity Years ago, I did an episode called The Moment of Truth — a collection of stories about that exact instant when denial disappears… and the truth hits. Who you are. Who your parents are. No more guessing. No more stories. Just truth. Jamilia was one of those voices. And she didn’t just describe that moment — she nailed it. But that moment? That’s not the end of the story. It’s the beginning. 🎧 Today, we hear what came after. ✉️ Reach out [email protected] 📸 ...
Apr 13
41 min
🧩 3 Sisters United On today’s episode of Missing Pieces, we tell the story of June — raised in Canada by her grandparents, growing up with questions instead of answers. As a teenager, she learns who her father is… —or so she thinks. What unfolds next connects three sisters, decades of silence, and the kind of truth that changes everything. This is one of those episodes that reminds you why this show exists. 🎧 Buckle up. 🍫 Support Choosing Hope (and make people very happy) We’re raising funds ...
Jan 27
54 min
🎙️ Tonia – Dirty John’s First Wife Today on Missing Pieces, I’m joined by Tonia Bales, the first wife of John Meehan, also known as Dirty John. 🧬 At one point in the episode, an unknown sibling comes into the story. Tonia has a new book out today — January 13, 2026: 📘 When You See It: How I Outsmarted & Outlasted Dirty John 🛒 Available wherever books are sold 👉 Amazon: https://a.co/d/2v1sdNR 🎧 Listen to Tonia’s podcast The First Wife: John Meehan’s Reign of Terror 👉 https://www.audi...
Jan 13
58 min
🎙️ Missing Pieces explores the stories of people who’ve discovered—or are still searching for—their "missing pieces". In this episode, Don talks with Amanda, who grew up in South Texas always wondering why she didn’t look like her other siblings. Years later, DNA gave her the answer—and with it, she found her missing pieces. 🧢👕 Missing Pieces Merch 👉 https://missingpieces.printify.me/ 🌳🧬 Untangling Our Roots Summit 👉 https://untanglingourroots.org/ 📧 Email Don: [email protected] 📸 Foll...
Jan 7
53 min
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