THE WINNERS ON THIS WEEK'S
"HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS."
>> FROM KPRC CHANNEL 2, THIS IS
"HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS," WITH
KHAMBREL MARSHAL
>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO
"HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS".
I TRUST YOU HAD A WONDERFUL
THANKSGIVING AND HOPEFULLY YOUR
HOLIDAY SHOPPING HAS GOTTEN OFF
TO A GOOD START FOR THE FIRST
TIME EVER.
I'M STARTING A "HOUSTON
NEWSMAKERS" PROGRAM WITH
SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO
CONSIDER FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
IT'S CALLED SWABBED AND FOUND,
AN ADOPTED MAN'S D.N.A. JOURNEY
TO DISCOVER HIS FAMILY TREE AND
THE AUTHOR IS KPRC CHIEF
METEOROLOGIST FRANK BILLINGSLEY.
>> HELLO.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> GOOD MORNING.
A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU.
WE WERE FIGHTING OVER WHO WAS
GOING TO HAVE WHICH MIC.
THIS HAS BEEN AMAZING.
I'VE KNOWN FOR ALL OF THE TIME
THAT I'VE KNOWN YOU THAT YOU
WERE ADOPTED, AND YOU'VE KNOWN
IN A AS WELL.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WRITE A
BOOK ABOUT THE JOURNEY.
>> THE MORE I TOLD PEOPLE ABOUT
THIS AMAZING, MYSTERIOUS
JOURNEY THAT I HAD, THE MORE
THEY SAID, YOU SHOULD WRITE A
BOOK, AND EVERYBODY HAS A BOOK
IN THEM.
RIGHT?
>> I'VE HEARD THAT.
>> MITCHNER WAS 40 BEFORE HE
WROTE HIS FIRST BOOK.
YOU GET TO ABOUT PAGE THREE AND
YOU'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK
I'M GOING TO GO TO STARBUCKS,
BECAUSE WRITING IS HARD.
CRAFTING A BOOK IS HARD.
AND SO I WOULD WRITE THINGS
DOWN, AND AS THEY HAPPENED, I
WOULD WRITE THEM DOWN, AND
THERE WERE SOME GREAT EDITORS,
MELANIE SAXTON AND CHUCK AND
LUCY FROM BRIGHT SKY PRESS,
THEY HELPED ME CRAFT IT AND
SAID THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
START THIS CHAPTER HERE, OR END
THIS CHAPTER THERE OR FLESH
THIS OUT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU
WERE DOING WHEN YOU HEARD THAT
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO GREAT EDITORS ALWAYS HELPS.
>> I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A LOT
AWAY BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO,
LIKE I DID, TO READ THE BOOK
AND ENJOY IT.
>> WELL, YOU CAN KNOW THE WHOLE
STORY AND STILL ENJOY THE BOOK
I WROTE IT LIKE A HARDY BOY'S
BOOK, "AND THEN THE PHONE RANG
>> HOW YOUNG WERE YOU TO
REMEMBER THAT YOU WERE TOLD
THAT YOU WERE ADOPTED?
>> FROM THE BEGINNING.
WE HAD A BOOK CALLED THE CHOSEN
CHILD, WHICH IS SORT OF A GO-TO
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND IT
TALKS ABOUT HOW YOUR FAMILY
CHOSE YOU AND YOU'RE THE CHOSEN
CHILD AND EVERYBODY WAS SO
HAPPY YOU WERE PART OF THE
FAMILY NOW.
IT WAS A GREAT BOOK.
MY PARENTS WERE ALWAYS VERY
OPEN ABOUT IT.
>> THEY HAVE BEEN UNEQUIVOCAL,
HAVE THEY NOT, EUROPE ADOPTIVE
PARENTS, ABOUT YOU AND HOW MUCH
THEY LOVE YOU.
PAT AND JIMMY.
>> ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
YOU COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR
BETTER PARENTS.
I GO BACK TO MY HIGH SCHOOL
REUNIONS, THEY SAY YOUR MOM AND
DAD, AND I SAY, YEP, THEY'RE
ALIVE AND WELL.
SHE WAS THE ONE THAT ALL OF MY
FRIENDS WOULD CALL ME AND SAY,
CAN I TALK TO YOUR MOM?
THEY LOVED TALKING TO HER.
SHE WAS ALWAYS FULL OF ADVICE
AND WISDOM AND SORT OF ON OUR
LEVEL AS KIDS.
SHE WOULD SAY, YOU CAN'T DO
THAT OR YOU SHOULD DO THIS, BUT
SHE WOULD DO IT IN A WAY THAT
PEOPLE REALLY LOVE HER AND TO
THIS DAY, SHE HAS GREAT ADVICE.
>> JIMMY HAS BEEN A PART OF
THAT AS WELL.
YOU COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A
BETTER GUY.
>> DAD, BIG GOLFER, ACCOUNTANT,
VERY BRIGHT, BIG ARKANSAS FAN.
>> AND THEY ALWAYSTOLD YOU
ABOUT YOUR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS,
THAT--
>> WHATHEY KNEW, WHICH WAS
VERY LITTLE.
>> THAT THEY WERE GOOD-LOOKING.
>> OF COURSE THEY WERE
GOOD-LOOKING.
WELL, LIKE ANY CHILD, WELL,
WHAT WERE THEY LIKE AND WHAT DO
YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM?
AND THEY SAID, WELL, FIRST OF
ALL, THEY WERE UNMARRIED, THEY
WERE NOT IN A FINANCIAL
POSITION TO RAISE YOU.
YOUR MOM WAS GOOD-LOOKING AND
YOUR DAD WAS ATHLETIC.
OKAY, I'LL SETTLE FOR THAT.
I THINK SMART CAME IN THERE
SOMEWHERE TOO, BUT JUST THE
OTHER DAY SOMEONE MENTIONED, I
WOULD ASK MY MOM, WHAT WOULD I
BE LIKE IF I WAS YOUR
BIOLOGICAL SON AND MY MOTHER
WOULD SAY, NOT AS GOOD.
NOT AS GOOD.
WHAT AN ANSWER.
NOT AS GOOD.
I REMEMBER THAT TO THIS DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE MEANT IT,
BUT SHE SAID IT.
>> I HAVE YOUR BABY PICTURE AND
I KNOW FROM THAT POINT ON, YOU
NEVER STOPPED SMILING.
>> AND MY EARS HAVE NEVER
STOPPED GROWING!
[ Laughter ]
>> SO WHEN YOU SAW THAT AND YOU
HAD TO WONDER, OKAY, WHO
PRODUCED THIS, AND WHEN YOU
STARTED YOUR LOOK, DID YOU JUST
KIND OF STICK A TOE IN THE
WATER AND THEN BACK OFF, OR DID
YOU JUST SAY, OKAY, ALL IN IN
TERMS OF YOUR SEARCH?
>> FROM A SCIENTIFIC POINT OF
VIEW, I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD
WORK.
YOU HEAR ABOUT D.N.A..
WHEN YOU READ THE BOOK, YOU
PROBABLY THOUGHT, WOW, THE
TWISTS AND THE TURNS AND THE
LUCK THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH MY
JOURNEY, YOU REALLY HAVE TO
STICK TO IT, SO FROM A
SCIENTIFIC POINT, I THOUGHT,
WELL, WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS,
FROM AN INTELLECTUAL STANDPOINT.
FROM AN EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT,
I'M NOT GETTING ANY YOUNG.
I'VE PASSED SECOND BASE AND I
CAN CERTAINLY SEE THIRD, SO I
BETTER DO IT NOW.
SOMEWHERE IN MY SOUL, I HAVE
ALWAYS THOUGHT, AND THIS IS
PROBABLY EGOTISTICAL, THAT MY
BIOLOGICAL MOTHER DIDN'T JUST
PLACE ME FOR ADOPTION AND
FORGET ME, THAT SOMEWHERE SHE
REGRETTED THAT, THAT SHE
WONDERED ABOUT ME.
>> DON'T YOU THINK THAT'S KIND
OF WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE--
>> SOME FIND THAT, OTHERS DON'T.
>> THE REALITY WOULD BE BOTH
WAYS, BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND
WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW
THAT, THAT YOU WEREN'T JUST
THROWN AWAY IN THE TRASH.
>> AND I WANTED TO THANK HER.
I WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT,
IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED WHAT
HAPPENED TO ME, IT TURNED OUT
WELL.
YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION AND
YOU GAVE ME WONDERFUL PARENTS.
>> HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO BE
PATIENCE IN THIS SEARCH?
>> JUST TO WAIT FOR THE D.N.A.
TEST BECAUSE THEY COUNT 750,000
PARTS OF THE GENOME OF THE 300
BILLION PARTS OF THE
CHROMOSOMES AND THAT IS QUALITY
CONTROL.
IN A FAMILY TREE D.N.A. IS
WHERE I STARTED AND THERE ARE
CERTAINLY OTHER TESTING
COMPANIES, BUT THEY ALWANT
QUALITY CONTROL SO THAT WHEN
YOU GET YOUR RESULTS, THEY'RE
CORRECT, AND THAT THEY HAVE TO
SEPARATE YOUR SALIVA CELLS FROM
YOUR D.N.A. AND ANY OTHER CELLS
THAT HAPPEN TO BE THERE.
YOU HAVE TO GET THE PURE D.N.A.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO ANALYZE
THAT AND MATCH IT TO EVERYBODY
ELSE WHO IS IN THE POOL, SO TO
SPEAK.
>> HOW LONG FROM START TO
FINISH, FROM THE TIME YOU
STARTED THE PROCESS UNTIL YOU
SAID, THAT'S MY BIOLOGICAL MOM.
>> SEPTEMBER TO AUGUST, SO
ALMOST A YEAR.
>> ONCE YOU STARTED THE
PROCESS, AND THERE'S YOUR
BIOLOGICAL MOM YOU FOUND, AND
IT'S A PROM PICTURE AND HER
PICTURE NOW.
WHEN YOU FIRST CALLED HER, I
KNOW IN THE BOOK, IT TALKS
ABOUT YOUR EXCITEMENT BUT YOUR
ANGST A LITTLE BIT.
>> SURE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING TO
SOMEONE THAT GAVE YOU LIFE AND
THAT YOU WONDERED ABOUT NOT
CONSTANTLY, BUT YOUR WHOLE
LIFE, AND PEOPLE WILL SAY TO
YOU, WELL, HAVE YOU EVER TRIED
TO SEARCH FOR YOUR BIOLOGICAL
FAMILY?
LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M
MUSTARD, KETCHUP, PICKLES,
RELISH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM.
I'M JUST HERE.
>> YOU KNOW FRANK'S
PERSONALITY, OVER THE YEARS,
THAT PERSONALITY COMES THROUGH
IN THE BOOK AS WELL.
IT WAS WRITTEN KIND OF LIKE
THIS, WHICH ALWAYS MAKES IT
WONDERFUL.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME
TOGETHER, OUR FRIENDSHIP IS
GOOD AND GREAT AND I LOVE THAT
AND I CAN FEEL THAT IN THE BOOK
AS WELL.
>> WELL, A VOICE IS A MOST
IMPORTANT THING TO A GOOD STORY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN EMPATHETIC
CHARACTER, AND I LIKE A LITTLE
MYSTERY, LIKE HARDY BOYS AND
NANCY DREW, SO A LITTLE OF
THAT, AND THEN I THINK THE
VOICE OF ANY BOOK IS THE STRONG
POINT.
>> WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE
LEFT.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF
YOUR BIOLOGICAL FATHER, WHO YOU
FOUND AS WELL.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING STORY
BECAUSE ONCE YOU FOUND HIM, YOU
HAD SOME NEWS TO TELL HIM THAT
HE DIDN'T KNOW.
YOU LOOK JUST LIKE HIM, BY THE
WAY.
>> WHEN HE WAS IN THE AIR FORCE
RS HE WAS A HURRICANE HUNTER.
ISN'T THAT CRAZY?
SO SINCE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF
TIME, METEOROLOGIST FRANK
BILLINGSLEY.COM IF YOU'D LIKE A
SIGNED COPY OF THIS BOOK,
METEOROLOGIST FRANK
BILLINGSLEY.COM.
AMAZON KEEPS RUNNING OUT.
BRIGHT SKY PRESS, THE
PUBLISHERS, HAVE COPIES, BUT
IT'S ON WAL-MART.COM AND
TARGET.COM AND AMAZON AND
BARNES AND NOBLE IN THE
BOOKSTORE, BUT, FORTUNATELY,
IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
PEOPLE KEEP WANTING IT AND
BUYING IT.
IT TALKS ABOUT RADAR, WE
ADOPTED RADAR, IT TALKS ABOUT
MY FAMILY AND HOW I CREATED MY
PERSONAL FAMILY AND TALKS ABOUT
THE D.N.A. SEARCH, THE PEOPLE I
FOUND, HOW I FOUND THEM, SO ON
A LOT OF LEVELS, IT'S A FUN
BOOK.
>> I THINK IT IS.
OTHERWISE, YOU WOULD NOT BE ON
"HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS."
>> IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
GLAD TO SEE YOU.
>> AND CAN I GET YOU TO SIGN MY
BOOK?
>> I WILL SIGN IT.
ONLY $2E7
$10.
[ Laughter ]
>> IT'S A CALLED SWABBED AND
FOUND, A GREAT READ FOR THE
HOLIDAYS.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO WHAT TO DO
FOR THE HOLIDAYS, THIS IS WHAT