23andMe - DNA Testing Software

I recently joined after my daughter did. Being an attorney who believes in the adage “trust but verify”, i did a lot of reading prior to joining & became sufficiently comfortable to want to take part in some research. (one can opt out at any time). This site is fascinating & addicting! (much more so for me than FB used to be). It’s exciting to see names of relatives of mine that I haven’t heard in years & be able to send a safe msg through the site to reacquaint. It is fascinating to see names of people I recall my parents talking about when I was a child & contact their offspring who are my DNA relatives. And people have messaged me looking to explore relatives we have in common. I found I share DNA with well over 1,000 people who have participated in 123&me. and the site shows a map of countries in which those DNA relatives are likely from or live now. At the least, the educational offerings on this site are worth exploring if you are thinking about finding relatives and exploring your heritage & your personality.

I never thought this site would actually help me find family, but I’m here to tell you it’s possible! I joined this site about 4 years ago in hopes of finding some of my bio family on my father’s side. I never met him and he never knew I existed. Until October 4, 2018. A possible 2nd cousin reached out to me and it turned out he’s my nephew. He led me to his dad- my 1/2 brother. He then led me to my biological father who is 80 years old now. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster but if you are hoping to find relatives- it’s definitely possible. I talk to my bio dad every week and we’ve exchanged a lot of photos and cards. I have 6 new 1/2 siblings and their families. My brother has been amazing and we are planning a vacation to meet in person this summer. We’ve been making up for lost time with cards, gifts, texts, FaceTime and lots of conversations. I’m very grateful for this site and what it has brought me! I went from being an only child to all this family!! Thank you this app!!

I actually received my kit as a Christmas gift. I grew up not knowing who my dad was. My mom was up front with me about what happened back in 1964 and she had an idea of who it was but wasn’t positive. Taking this DNA test confirmed who he was. I’ve since been in touch with a cousin this app matched me with and was able to get pics of my grandmother and great grandmother on my dad’s side. It was very exciting! Her dad was my dad’s cousin. Unfortunately, he lost all the pics he had of them in a flood. I looked for my dad and discovered he passed away back in 1994 so that was disappointing. I would have loved to know more about him. My mom passed before I took this test and she would have been so happy to know I found family. If you are reading this review and wondering if you should try it, please do! It’s fun to see where all the people are in the world who share DNA with you! It’s wild to be 52 and finally learn who your dad is!