Joan’s Journey to Family

In July 2019, I received a message that would lead to an incredible journey of discovery. A genetic genealogist reached out on behalf of a client who had appeared as a DNA match on my Ancestry.com profile. At the time, I was using DNA testing to further my own family research and had a general idea of which branch of my family tree this person might be connected to.

After exchanging a few messages, the genealogist introduced me to her client, Joan. She was searching for her biological father, and with my knowledge of our shared ancestry, I offered to help. Over the next couple of years, we meticulously mapped out our family connections and eventually narrowed the possibilities down to two brothers.

The breakthrough came when Joan contacted the daughter of one of these brothers and persuaded her to take a DNA test. The results confirmed that they were a match at the first cousin level, proving that the other brother was her true father. To solidify the discovery, Joan’s newly found nephew also took a DNA test, and his results aligned perfectly.

Joan and I have remained friends ever since, and she recently sent me a note reflecting on her experience. Her words speak volumes about the emotional journey she undertook:

“I grew up in Trenton, NJ to an unwed mother in the late 1960s. My mother and I lived in her parents’ home throughout my childhood. My mother refused to tell me who my father was. When I was 21, I asked her to accompany me to a therapist’s office where the woman insisted my mother share this information. My mother told me quite a tale, and I believed her. Despite reaching out to this man a couple of times over two and a half decades, he never responded.

Around the time I turned 50, I decided to go on Ancestry and later on 23andMe. There were no relatives with the man’s last name. I was jaw-dropped and hired a researcher I found online with a PhD in biology to help me figure out this mystery. The researcher reached out to George, as she saw that he was related and actively involved in mapping the family’s history. It was George who cracked the case, found who my bio dad really was, and became one of my new favorite cousins. Thank you, George, for as long as I live, I will be grateful.”

Joan’s journey is a testament to the power of genetic genealogy and the emotional impact of uncovering long-lost truths. Stories like hers remind us that our DNA holds more than just scientific data—it connects us to our past, to family we never knew, and sometimes, to answers we’ve been searching for our entire lives.