CLEVELAND — A northeast Ohio woman named Lisa has always been interested in her family’s genealogy.
The walls of her home are lined with several generations of family photos.
Several years ago, she took one of the many DNA tests available on the market. She took the kind that breaks down your ancestry and ethnicity.
“I was always told that we were Hungarian on my father’s side and German on mother’s side,” she said.
Lisa asked Spectrum News 1 to not use her last name to respect her family’s privacy.
She got a big shock when a family member took the type that lets you identify and connect with relatives.
“I got a text from my cousin saying she’d done ‘23 and Me’ and that somebody came up that’s either a half-brother or an uncle,” Lisa said.
The news came as a shock to Lisa, and there was another wrinkle. It was hard to identify who that person was in relation to her family because her father was an identical twin.
Identical twins have the same DNA, so it wasn’t possible to know who fathered the child without asking some tough questions. Lisa’s dad passed away 10 years ago.
“Fortunately, I was able to call my mom and she could verify that it was, in fact, my brother from my father’s side,” Lisa said.
Her newly found half-brother was in the DNA database because he’d been adopted and wanted medical history.
Lisa was initially upset over the discovery but found a support group she could turn to.
“It was started for those who had these surprise circumstances come up,” said Karen Wyman, a program manager at the Adoption Network. She oversees the DNA Discovery Support Group established by the nonprofit. She specializes in helping people find family members.
Wyman said it's important for anyone taking a DNA test to really consider what they can learn. But despite surprising news, DNA tests have been a game changer for many.
“There are surprises that come up, but overall I think it’s made a huge difference in people’s lives to be able to know more about themselves.”
Lisa was able to find comfort in the support group.
She said the group is really important to help navigate those emotions, from joy to sadness.
Since the discovery, Lisa has been in touch with her new half-brother. She made sure to take notes during their first phone call, which lasted over two hours.
“He’s so much like my dad in terms of funny, charming, and good looking,” Lisa said.
She’s looking forward to meeting him. “We’re all just operating that it’s more family to love,” she said.
Despite the positive outcome, Lisa cautions people.
“I definitely encourage if anyone’s considering getting one of these gifts for somebody, just know the caveat that family secrets can come out and not all families are equipped to talk about family secrets,” she said.