The weight of family secrets: Finding freedom in the truth

Audacious with Chion Wolf

Family secrets are often kept to protect, but hiding the truth can sometimes cause more harm than good.

When Michael Hainey’s father died, the explanation he was given never quite added up. Decades later, uncovering the real story changed his life, and inspired him to write a memoir.

Melissa Daniels faced a different kind of revelation: the man she thought was her father wasn’t her biological dad. Her determination to uncover the truth became unstoppable.

Hear their powerful stories of discovery, and what unfolded after the secrets came to light.

Suggested episodes:

• Conception deception: The fight for transparency in the fertility industry
• Forgiveness: How we define it and how it defines us

GUESTS:

• Michael Hainey: A journalist and author of the memoir, After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story". It details how he uncovered the circumstances surrounding his father’s death decades later
• Melissa Daniels: Her father passed away when she was seven. As a teenager, she learned that she was conceived by a donor and set out to connect with her biological father

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Chapters

1. The weight of family secrets: Finding freedom in the truth (00:00:00)

2. Marker 01 (00:13:05)

3. Marker 02 (00:38:00)