MPEs: You Have a Right to Know Who You Are

Family Twist: A Podcast Exploring DNA Surprises and Family Secrets

Today, we're diving into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery with our guests, Kara Rubenstein Deyerin and Brad Ewell from the organization Right to Know. Their stories about DNA surprises will astonish and move you. We'll also explore the impactful work of Right to Know, an organization that emerged from these life-altering revelations. Get ready to be inspired by their resilience and the pursuit of truth.

Baby, You Have a Right to Know Who You Are

Episode Highlights:

1. Kara's DNA Test Revelation: Kara shares her initial intention to trace her African ancestry and her shocking discovery of being half Ashkenazi Jewish.
2. Identity Crisis: Facing a profound identity crisis, Kara describes her emotional struggle after learning she's not biologically related to her father.
3. Finding Her Biological Father: The journey to identify her genetic father, Sam Rubenstein, a renowned philanthropist in Seattle.
4. Rejection and Acceptance: Kara discusses the mixed reactions from her biological and raised families, emphasizing her father's support despite the DNA results.
5. Formation of Right to Know: Inspired by her experience, Kara talks about founding Right to Know to advocate for individuals with similar DNA discoveries.
6. Brad's Involvement and Support: Brad, a board member of Right to Know, shares his own experience and the value of the organization.
7. Right to Know's Mission and Future Plans: The organization focuses on education, advocacy and mental health, aiming to provide support and enact meaningful legislation.

Guest Bios:

Kara Rubenstein Deyerin is a non-practicing attorney with an LLM in Taxation and a master’s in Trade & Investment Policy. In January 2018, she wanted to see where in Africa her father’s family came from. Her over-the-counter DNA test revealed she was 50% something, but she had zero African DNA. This meant the man on her birth certificate couldn’t possibly be her genetic father. She lost her ethnic identity with the click of a mouse. Kara discovered she was 50% Jewish. The DNA pandora’s box she opened led to an identity crisis. Because there were few resources for people with misattributed parentage and a lack of legal rights, she co-founded Right to Know. Kara is leading advocate for genetic identity rights and people impacted by misattributed parentage. She has appeared on many podcasts, in multiple television interviews and articles, and is a frequent speaker on her DNA surprise, the right to know, and the complex intersection of genetic information, identity, and family dynamics. Read her blog about being Unexpectedly Jewish in Seattle.

Brad Ewell is a police officer in the Dallas, Texas area. He is married and has three children. For the first 48 years of his life, Brad believed he was raised by his biological family. That changed in 2019 when someone he matched from an Ancestry DNA test contacted him. In less than 24 hours Brad became a Late Discovery Adoptee with a MPE. Since that time he is in reunion with several biological family members including his biological father and four siblings. He is passionate about the right of every person to know their true genetic identity. While he knows his biological history, he still has to go to court if he wants to have his records unsealed. Brad has written essays and an article for Severance Magazine and is currently working on other essays and a memoir. You can find him on Instagram.

Mentioned Resources:

• Right to Know website
• National Board of Certified Counselors for therapist education

In today's episode, we've explored the complex emotions and societal implications of DNA surprises. If you've been moved by Kara and Brad's stories and the mission of Right to Know, I encourage you to delve deeper into this topic and perhaps find a community that understands your journey. Remember, you're not alone. If you enjoyed this episode of Family Twist, please rate, follow and leave a review. Your support helps us bring more such compelling stories to light.

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