Woman who felt like an outsider in her own family tried a DNA test. What she discovered turned her world upside down
Many people never fit in among their peers or their family. Nonetheless, one woman who didn't feel that she belonged in her family hadn't thought that she would get her answers through a DNA test. The 56-year-old woman, Christina, had always noticed that she was very different from her three siblings. However, she had never considered getting a DNA test. She eventually got one while she was trying to locate her Irish grandma's birth certificate and have a dual passport as an Irish and UK citizen. The test ended up clearing a lot of things for her, per Newsweek.
"I never felt like I actually belonged anywhere. My skin used to always go really, really dark during the summer and I didn't look like my three siblings," Christina pointed out. When the UK was about to separate from the European Union, Christina remembered that her grandmother had brought her from Ireland as a baby. She wanted to find her grandma's birth certificate and get a dual passport with the help of that. Ireland is still a part of the European Union and the passport would have allowed her to move around Europe freely. So Christina registered to MyHeritage. There was also an option to get a DNA test on the site, so Christina decided to get one.
"I thought I would give it a go because I wanted to find out more about my ethnicity," the woman remarked. After six weeks, the woman found out that she had Southern European ancestry, Jewish and Iberian heritage as well. She also found out that a 94-year-old man was her father and he was a complete DNA match. That gave Christina a lot of answers that she had been looking for during her childhood. The woman also had seven half-siblings. She also found a first cousin on her mother's side in Australia through the test and could also get in touch with her half-siblings after some time. "They were expecting it."
She found out that her biological father was a Marine Commando and everything made sense to her. "He was a Marine Commando, which is why two of his children are the result of affairs. He wasn't at home much. The work meant he was away at sea, often for years at a time." Both of Christina's parents were dead when she finally got a chance to meet two of her half-siblings. "After getting photos and meeting two of my half siblings, I feel blessed because I now know who I look like, I now know why I go so dark and I now know why I've got certain medical things. For the first time in 56 years, I feel whole."
Her half-siblings shared her nasal problems and had also had similar careers to hers. She hoped to stay in touch with them, but was glad to have so many answers, regardless. "Even if I don't see any of them ever again, I know who I am now," Christina went on. She also found out that the cousin, Allison, she came across on the site, had been given up for adoption as a baby by her aunt. She was able to help the mom and daughter reconnect. Her aunt was really glad to meet her long-lost daughter. "She told me, 'You've made my life long, wish come true. I've always wanted to reconnect with her before I died.'"
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This article originally appeared 2 months ago.