The following is a personal account of one of our clients who shares her experience of finding her biological father. You can read her story below, and you can also watch her tell her story here on our YouTube channel. My name is Tiffany. This is the story of my journey to finding my father. I am 49, and I've never known my biological father or his family. My mom was 17 when she got pregnant, and they only dated or hung out for a couple of weeks; she went back to visit family in New … [Read more...]
Five Tips for Contacting Genetic Cousins
Prior to contacting a genetic cousin, perform a preliminary search to estimate the potential nature of the relationship, what ancestral line may be the source of the shared DNA, and whether there are any shared ancestral locations, surnames or ancestor. Including details from this preliminary search in initial contacts can increase the chances of a response. (This article first appeared in DNA Discovery and has been republished here with permission). In all genealogical investigation, … [Read more...]
How Genealogy Research Provides Comfort After a DNA Surprise
A DNA Surprise is an event in a person's life where they find out their parentage is not what they had always believed. In this article we talk with Right to Know founder Kara Rubinstein Deyerin about her own DNA Surprise and how genealogy research and other tools can provide comfort during this challenging experience. Tell us how you felt when you had a DNA surprise. I felt like a unicorn. Who grows up thinking they are half Black and learns they're not? I felt very much alone when I … [Read more...]