DNA Testing Has Changed the World
@BelleStarr (61102)
United States
November 4, 2016 1:49pm CST
Yesterday, my best friend and I took a ride to Rhode Island. We were going to meet a woman who is related to my friend's husband. How does she know this? DNA
This woman was raised by a single mother who never told her the name of her father. When she was born, a false name was placed on her birth certificate as the father and it wasn't until she began looking for this non-existent man that she realized her mother with the help of an aunt and uncle had been deceiving her through her entire life.
Now her mother has gone and so are the aunt and uncle and with the help of DNA she has been able to identify at least the family that her father comes from.
I just met a cousin who had a very similar scenario, she came over from England to meet her sisters and brother who welcomed her with open arms. She now feels complete and as the woman we met yesterday said, she has only been half a person until now.
I am sure that this types of non-parental events are nothing new but in the past, the truth would never have come out, now with DNA testing available, identifying our true ancestors has become possible. I wonder how many surprises will be uncovered?
18 people like this
16 responses
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
8 Nov 16
I know what a huge difference DNA has made in the crime world, and when 9/11 happened, they sure did need the power of DNA to identify all those remains. I'm very happy if DNA continues to bring people together. That's such a wonderful thing!
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
8 Nov 16
It really is a wonderful thing. Especially for those who have spent their lives wondering who they really were.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
You might just be surprised where your roots lie but I understand that this doesn't interest everyone.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Nov 16
I am sure quite a few. I have not got the money but that would be great to know.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
Yes it is a little pricey and not for everyone.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Nov 16
DNA won't necessarily tell you anything about particular ancestors at least unless you match someone who has a tree already done. I would love to help you with yours, though, I am not sure how much I could do depending on what you know but I am a bulldog when it comes to searching. At the very least I can help you with strategies. I wasn't able to help Janet but hers was a more recent and rather unusual person she wanted to find. But yes, ask Santa for sure, it is $99 from ancestry and sometimes it goes as low as $79. Family tree has sales too. 23 and me is the most expensive but it goes into medical issues as well.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
15 Nov 16
@BelleStarr I still haven't unpacked some of the information I have already found for my Dad's side of the family. It's in my closet somewhere packed in a box but not sure where. As soon as I feel up to digging around, I will get the information and let you know. I really appreciate any and all help you can offer 
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
12 Nov 16
Mine was a shock when I discovered my native American roots but other than that, in the immediate family, nothing too shocking
1 person likes this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
12 Nov 16
@BelleStarr I have Native American roots, as well as a few others, though I've never had a DNA done.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
12 Nov 16
I'm in the DNA bank and Ancestry does notify me when a cousin pops up. I never expect a sibling but after this summers discovery of my son in laws sibling he never knew he had....anything can happen.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Nov 16
It really is, I suspect my father was faithful to both his wives but who knows for sure.
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
14 Nov 16
@BelleStarr I know, my dad was so in love with my mom, there never was a question but he did travel the world in the Navy before he met her and who knows?
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
DNA can tell you the deeper roots. My 100% Portuguese husband found that his roots are quite different than he would ever have guessed.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471355)
• Switzerland
15 Nov 16
@BelleStarr I know that to make a DNA test for this purpose is not something expensive in the United States. A paternity test (the simplest DNA test) cost around $160 here and the price of a DNA test to check your ancestors is about $ 700. This is not something I am going to spend. I know that our ancestors are of Celtic origins and then they stayed in the north Italian area, it's enough for me.
@Tampa_girl7 (50208)
• United States
13 Nov 16
It's amazing they can do this kind of testing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Nov 16
It really is and it can give some very interesting results.
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
4 Nov 16
'tis a wonderful thingy that such an aide'n so many fillin' those 'gaps' that've been'n their lives. thus far my dna aint brought me any good surprises. i've been procrastinatin' runnin' the gibberish from 23&me through a program to decipher what all genetically wrong there might be. dunno why? waited 5 years to get the danged thingy done 'n such'd provide some sort'f road map to help me figure how to 'fix' what ails me...possibly anyhow.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
I hope that you can get the results interpreted and figure this out.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
15 Nov 16
@BelleStarr me, too, hon. i dunno if'n such's possible?? i'm tryin' to find somebody who's knowledgeable who'd know what the heck't all means - nobody 'round these parts's a clue.
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
14 Nov 16
I imagine millions will learn something that was impossible in the past. I think it's a wonderful thing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
I really do think so, we can learn a lot about where our roots really are.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Nov 16
It has been able to tell people so much about their ancestors but also it is a great tool for health as well.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
I imagine that not all are happy reunions when a child finds a family that didn't know they existed but I believe everyone has the right to know at least for healthy reasons.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339591)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Nov 16
@BelleStarr I know of a few who met but didn't carry on with getting together regularly. On the other side of the coin, my friend's daughter was adopted and eventually found her birth mother. They had a wonderful relationship. The mother had become pregnant as a teenager and HER mother had forged her signature and given the baby up for adoption. My friend's daughter later lost her life to cancer and her birth mother's tribute in the paper was 'I lost you twice'.
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
5 Nov 16
It must have opened a whole new world up for many people! How neat it would be and emotional to meet family after all those years. The story makes me wonder why everyone kept her dad's identity but as I write this I think it might have been that she completely wanted to sever ties with the man!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
He may have been married or younger than her or it was just a one night stand, I don't know if we will ever figure that out.
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
16 Nov 16
@BelleStarr True- things were kept so hush hush then for the sake of propriety and being discreet!
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
15 Nov 16
You might be surprised how many relatives you have that you don't know lol
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
14 Nov 16
It does make for some interesting finds
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
12 Nov 16
It certainly can reveal some unusual things as well as the expected.
1 person likes this
