My Dad Died… Then DNA Told Me He Wasn’t My Biological Father

Candace took an AncestryDNA test for one simple reason: she wanted to learn more about her African ancestry. She never imagined the results would challenge everything she believed about who she was. Still grieving the father she had lost only months earlier, Candace discovered that the man she had known as Dad her entire life was not her biological father. Suddenly, at 40 years old, she was facing an identity she never knew she had—including Puerto Rican roots, a biological father she had never known, and six new half-siblings. But the discoveries didn't stop there. Her DNA revealed yet another family secret involving the grandfather whose last name she carries. In this deeply vulnerable episode of DNA Confessions, Candace shares what it's like to uncover an NPE while grieving, the complicated loyalty she still feels toward the man she will always call Dad, meeting her biological father for the first time, and the question she is still trying to answer: Who am I now? This isn't a story with a perfectly wrapped ending. It's a story unfolding in real time—and Candace has agreed to come back in a year so we can see where this journey takes her. About DNAngels DNAngels is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals identify their biological parents through DNA and genetic genealogy at no cost. We serve adoptees, donor-conceived individuals, people with misattributed parentage (NPE), and others facing questions about biological identity. Through science, genealogy, compassion, and ethical research, our Search Angels help clients uncover the truth about where they come from while providing support for the emotional journey that often follows. DNA Confessions gives a voice to the people behind these discoveries—the real stories of secrets uncovered, identities changed, families found, and lives forever reshaped by DNA.