Many don’t know who their birth parents are, let alone what their familial genetic makeup is. Are they genetically predisposed to certain diseases? Are they carriers of others? Do they have brothers and sisters or even parents who are out there searching for them?

It used to be that adoptees had to depend on records being unsealed (in the case of closed US adoptions) or just plain good luck (in the case of oversea adoptions) to learn anything about their family trees.

The invention of the at-home DNA testing kits has changed all of that forever.

Now with just a swab of your cheek or a quick spit into a tube, and you’re mere weeks away from knowing your genetic makeup or even connecting with relatives you didn’t even know you had. But of all of the different testing kits out there, which ones are best options for adoptees?

The short answer is that it depends on what answers you’re looking to find. Here are the top four DNA testing kits on the market and what each one will do for you.

AncestryDNA

With over six million people in its database, AncestryDNA is one of the larger and more diverse databases available. They are all about genealogy and connecting you with family members who are also searching for relatives. Their kits cost $79, and results take eight weeks to get. For that price you get a family history and a complete report on your ethnic background. There are no health insights with this test, so this is not the kit for you if you’re looking to find out anything about your health history. AncestryDNA allows you to import a family tree which means you can pair information learned through other kits and combine it with AncestryDNA’s information to create an even clearer picture of your genetic makeup.

FamilyTreeDNA

As its name says, FamilyTreeDNA is focused completely on connecting you with living relatives. Like AncestryDNA, this is not the site for you if you’re looking to learn about your genetic makeup for health purposes. This site is all about putting you together with your closest living relatives. There are different levels of testing; the more complicated and detailed the testing, the more expensive the test. Costs range from $59 for the most basic test to $442 for a full workup. FamilyTreeDNA allows you to transfer your DNA information from other sites as well.

23andMe

This is one of the more widely-known kits available today. 23andMe has two different types of kits from which to choose. The one that’s focused on your health is $99, and the one that will give you results regarding your ancestry is $149. With the ancestry kit, you can opt in to their Relative Finder service to connect with family members and see who shares your DNA, but that is an optional feature. 

MyHeritage

As the name implies, this is another site that is totally focused on building your family tree and finding people who are related to you. With 93 million users worldwide, they are building a huge database of people to connect with one another. With a four-week turnaround for results, it’s got one of the quicker response times in an industry that often takes eight weeks or longer to get your results to you. The kits are regularly priced at $99 but you can often find them on sale for $59. As with other sites, you can import your family tree into MyHeritage too.

How do adoptees pick the one that’s right for them? They should start by asking themselves what they hope to achieve by having genetic tests done. Whether it’s for health, familial connections, or a combination of both, answering that question will help you make the right choice.

Finally, here’s a tip if you’re an adoptee trying to trace your family tree and connect with ancestors from your birth family. Your best bet is choose a kit that gives you a comprehensive genetic familial history and also allows you to export your DNA to other sites. With so many choices, you never know where your relatives might be having their own DNA tested. It only makes sense that the more places you have your DNA stored, the more likely you are to connect with someone who might be looking for you.

Are you an adoptee hoping to find your birth family? Check out this online course featuring adoption reunion professionals, including a genealogist to help you with your DNA results.

The post The Top 4 DNA Testing Options For Adoptees appeared first on Adoption Reunion | Registry, Search Advice, Gifts, Blogs.

Typically, with DNA services like Ancestry, a person will pay for a DNA kit to be sent to their home. That kit will have a vial that the purchaser spits their saliva into. The vile is then sent back to the company for analysis. Many of these kits offer both an ancestry and health testing services. The ancestry service will not only send a report with ethnicity and heritage information, but will also let the purchaser know if their DNA links them biologically to any other person who has submitted DNA. Even if an immediate family member has not submitted DNA, the purchaser may find a second cousin or distant relative who might be the key to finding their family member. 

The show, “Long Lost Family” on TLC details the usage of Ancestry for adoption reunions in each episode. In almost every episode, a DNA match has allowed for a family member to be found either directly or indirectly. Utilizing DNA services seems common sense in any identity investigation as it will grant the most accurate information. Even if there are no matches in the system, these DNA services will store the purchaser’s information in case someone does submit a DNA match in the future. 

Many of those searching have found through the Ancestry service that their family was also using DNA matching to locate them. DNA testing is not only making reunions happen but seems to be the key. It is clear from this show alone that DNA testing is one of the first steps to take when seeking an adoption reunion for both adoptees and birth parents alike.

The post Adoption DNA Testing: Making Reunions Happen appeared first on Adoption Reunion | Registry, Search Advice, Gifts, Blogs.

Jan stood on her tippy toes and peered into the cradle. What she saw in there was a teeny, tiny baby with fresh, newborn cheeks splotched with pink as if an artist’s fan brush had gently stroked and blended the color there.

“Oh!” A breath escaped Jan’s mouth while she tried to withhold her glee at seeing her new toy. The toy squeaked. Jane stepped back, startled. It was not a toy. It was an actual! Real! Live! Baby! A Baby Sister! Jan could not contain her excitement! “Mom!” she shouted, but then, remembering the real, live sleeping baby, she whispered, “Mom!” as she backed out away from the cradle.

Jan’s family had adopted a baby girl. And the baby girl was me. My parents told my sister, Jan, that there was a surprise in the doll cradle for her. Jan’s excitement was shared by my parents and my other siblings.

I was raised to understand that I was adopted. I assumed it meant that I was smart or superior as it was usually coupled with the compliment that I was “intelligent.” So here I am, “intelligent” and “adopted.” I guess it didn’t mean “pretty,” because I had short blond hair that was cut like a boy. (I knew that because several strangers would tell my mom what a cute little boy she had; to which she would respond by pulling my shoulder towards her and saying, “No, this one’s a girl!”).

One day when I was about six, my mom told me about a “half-brother” that I had. She told me that she had met him and that she remembered that he was quite energetic. While that conversation rarely came up ever again, it was never far from my thoughts. I would wonder what my “brother” was doing on a given day and when his birthday was and if he ever wondered about me. I always wondered about my biological family. Mostly I wanted to know what they looked like. I also wanted to show them how well things had turned out for me in the hopes that they would be proud.

When I was a twenty-one-year-old college student in upstate NY, my parents showed me a letter from my biological aunt (my mother’s sister) asking to be in touch with me. She wanted me to write her a letter and introduce myself. When my parents laid that option out in front of me, I had only one response: “Yes!” Off my letter went inviting her and any members of my biological family to contact me and get to know me.

Shortly thereafter I received a letter from my then sixteen-year-old brother. His name was Anthony. He lived in North Carolina, he liked the Goo-Goo Dolls, and he liked Camel cigarettes. He enjoyed running away from home and getting in trouble. I quickly corresponded with him easing into my new role as “big sister;” encouraging him to get better grades and stay out of trouble.

At my college apartment one afternoon, my phone rang and it was Anthony. He informed me that he was “taking some time away from home again” and he wanted to send me a letter so he wanted my street address. I said, “Anthony, just give me the number for your payphone and I will call you right back!”

As I finally extracted the numbers that appeared in front of him on the payphone I realized that I recognized the area code.

“Anthony! Where are you?” I jumped up onto the sofa with the phone in my hand peering out between the mini-blinds. He told me that he had come to meet his big sister and he was down at the corner. My heart was racing as I dashed down the street.

I saw his brown hair. I saw that he was tall. I saw his dark brown eyes. I saw pieces of me. For the first time in my life I saw someone who was actually related to me. It was astounding. I watched him very closely. I inspected him like a scientist would a specimen on a slide. I saw his arms and legs move. I watched him talk and watched his lips move. He was part of me. I could not. Stop. Smiling. I smiled like that for two weeks because that was how long he stayed.

Are you interested in reuniting with your biological family or child that was adopted? Click here to learn about an eCourse specifically created with adoption reunions in mind.

The post How An Adoption Reunion Changed My Life appeared first on Adoption Reunion | Registry, Search Advice, Gifts, Blogs.

I found them on Facebook and it turns out they were trying to find me as well. A few days after Christmas, in the year 2016, we decided to meet up for lunch. My older sister, Tiffany, decided to pick me up at my house, and then we proceeded to meet up with Kristi.

I was nervous to get in the car with my sister whom I had never met before. We met up at Cicis Pizza in Springfield. We spent a good hour or two just talking. We decided to go to the mall to walk around for a while. We stopped by Bath and Body Works, and we bought ourselves a giant cookie to eat.

We spent a good few hours together, and I can definitely see that we are all different. We don’t look like each other, nor do we act like each other. I came with the expectation that I would look like my siblings and have the same personality. I’m thankful that I got to meet them. We stay in contact with each other through Facebook and text messaging.

By staying in contact with my siblings, I have the opportunity to learn more about my biological family. For instance, I learned that both of my sisters have a genetic condition, so I decided to get tested for it. Thankfully, I don’t have it, but I am glad I found out so I could get tested. I recently contacted my biological mother, and she messaged me back saying that I can meet her sometime when I am ready. I am nervous about this, but I think it will be nice to finally meet her. I want her to see how I turned out. I want her to know that I am okay.

It is important to meet your biological family because you should know who they are. It’s also important for medical reasons because you can find out if your family has any health issues that could affect you later in life. Reunification may not always be possible, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

If you’re interested in a reunion, you may wish to have a little help. Click here to see how Adoption Detectives may be able to help you in your search. Or check out this eCourse to help you get started on your own adoption reunion.

The post What It Was Like Reuniting With My Biological Sisters appeared first on Adoption Reunion | Registry, Search Advice, Gifts, Blogs.