Right to Know

Right to Know We support people impacted by DNA surprises, NPEs, adoption, assisted reproduction, & misattributed parentage (MP).

09/04/2026

Our next online constellation education event is Sept 30th at 7pm Central...

This month, we're welcoming 4 members of the adoption community who've had 4 VERY different experiences with open adoption. And, they're sharing that lived experience with us.
CHRIS MARTIN is an adopted person who has been in an open adoption since birth.
CINDY SHULTZ is a first mother who was coerced into adoption and promised an open adoption, only to have that adoption repeatedly closed and reopened by the adoptive mother.
BROOKE RANDOLPH is an adoptive mother who maintains an open international adoption with two families of origin.
ELIZABETH BARBOUR is an adoptee who was raised in a closed adoption and is now an adoptive mother in what has become a semi-open adoption.

Adoption is never a one-time event. It is a lifelong journey. We're honored these four constellation members are inviting us for a glimpse of their journey. The event will be moderated by Dr. Liz Debetta, who, alongside some of our AKA team, will be putting together a series a questions/ subjects for the panel to address. The event will be approximately 90 minutes long and will include audience Q/A .

Please join us. Registration will open this weekend. ( We'll post an update when the registration page is open.) We also invite you to share questions you might have for the panel in the comments or by DM.

Free for AKA members/ $12 for non-members.
Everyone is welcome.
Scholarships are always available.

09/04/2026

Three members of our board are speaking at the CULTURS Feel Seen Summit next week.

Bradley Hall, president. Dr. Paulette Bethel, board member. Jodi Brooks, secretary.

The summit is a free, two-day virtual gathering for people whose identity doesn't fit in a single box. If you're an NPE, you know that feeling. Your story has a before and an after, and you've learned to give the short version so the room stays comfortable.

You don't have to do that here. You can show up as the whole person.

September 11 and 12.

FREE

Join from anywhere.

Register: https://shop.cultursmag.com/pages/culturs-summit-2026?ref=Bradley-Hall


I

09/04/2026

Knowing what to look for can help save a life.

Withdrawing from loved ones, changes in sleep, increased aggression, reckless behavior, or extreme mood swings can be warning signs that someone may be struggling or thinking about su***de.

Recognize the signs. Reach out. Listen without judgment. Remind them they’re not alone. 💜

Talking about su***de isn’t harmful. Silence is.

Start a conversation. Be the difference. Find more resources at nami.org/SPM.

09/03/2026

I don't see color...

Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello was born in South Korea and adopted into a white family. Susan DeVan Harness is an American Indian adoptee who was also raised by white parents.

Marci’s parents believed that because she was their daughter, racism somehow wouldn't reach her. Susan was raised you to be better.

One response came from unexamined privilege. The other came from overt prejudice. Both left a child to carry the consequences.

When parents don’t see their child’s race, they also fail to see the racism, cultural disconnection, and lack of protection that child is experiencing.

The danger is teaching a child to reject the “other” can eventually become a hatred of self. This was one of the most powerful conversations I’ve had about race, identity, and belonging.

For more of Marci and Susan's story, Listen to to S1 E44 of Unraveling Me: https://shows.acast.com/unraveling-me/episodes/s1e44-unraveling-susan-marci

09/03/2026

Register now for our online conference Nov 6 & 7
Keynote by Dr. Abby, Panel sessions with a constellation-diverse group of researchers, authors, influencers, and podcasters, Adoption Vanguard Award Presentation, and more...

Intended parents often make life-changing decisions based on donor profiles they believe are accurate. When a donor know...
09/03/2026

Intended parents often make life-changing decisions based on donor profiles they believe are accurate. When a donor knowingly provides false information, or a fertility clinic doesn't have an obligation to verify it, families are denied the ability to make an informed choice, and donor-conceived people are left with a false account of their own origins.

Donor profiles should not be treated like advertising. Misrepresentation must have consequences, and clinics must be accountable for verifying the information they sell as fact.

This is about informed choice.

09/02/2026

Finding a father through DNA is one thing. Meeting him for the first time is another.

Charity traveled five hours to New Orleans to meet Joseph, nervous and excited the whole way. She even made a sign.

She thought she might cry.
She thought she might freeze.
She didn’t know if they would hug.

But when he came down the escalator, something shifted.
Sometimes reunion is awkward and complicated.
And sometimes, somehow, it feels natural.

For more of Charity Barriere Muhammad and Joseph McGill’s story, listen to S1 E33 of Unraveling Me: https://shows.acast.com/unraveling-me/episodes/s1e33-unraveling-joesph-charity

09/02/2026

📣 New blog series!

'DC Voices' is our new blog series written by donor conceived people, exploring the issues and experiences that matter to them. Sarah, our donor conceived person liaison volunteer, is the lead contributor. In her first piece, she looks at the proposed 50-family limit for donors in Europe and explores why she believes even that may be too many.

Free for everyone to read at https://dcnetwork.org/why-50-families-is-still-too-many/ If you know a donor conceived person, this is well worth sharing with them 💜

09/01/2026

Parents don’t get a blank slate.

For decades, many parents who used donor conception were told to go home, raise the child as their own, and never think about the donor again.

But genetics don’t disappear because no one talks about them.

They can shape appearance, personality, interests, medical risks, mental health, and the way a child experiences belonging inside their own family.

And when genetic history is hidden, the consequences can be very real.

Truth matters.
Medical history matters.
Genetic identity matters.

For more of Lynne Weiner Spencer story, listen to S1 E38 of Unraveling Me:
https://shows.acast.com/unraveling-me/episodes/s1e38-unraveling-lynne

09/01/2026

🧬 Special Guest Alert! Join us TONIGHT!

Join us on Tuesday, September 1 at 8 pm ET for this month's DNA Discovery Support Group as we welcome Aaron Long, star of the documentary Dad Genes.

In the mid-90s, Aaron was a s***m donor for extra cash — decades later, a DNA test revealed multiple biological children, with speculative math suggesting 60+ more may be out there. Hear how strangers became family, and how a New York Times story turned his life upside down.

📅 Tuesday, September 1 | 🕗 8–10 PM ET | 💻 Virtual via Zoom

Registration required — https://ow.ly/nXgs50ZFLg5

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