At-Home DNA Testing Exposes Family Secrets | NBC10 Philadelphia

Anna Marie, of Delaware, never thought her curiosity about her family's past would uncover a huge secret. It has upended her life. And an at-home DNA test helped unravel the secret.
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[@jcolterh]

A DNA test revealed that my grandfather isnt related to me at all. My grandmother had an affair in 1959. Not sure who my biological grandfather is but that doesnt matter. The grandfather I had was an amazing man.

[@lynnetmb4706]

I wish this woman felt the same way. It’s pretty clear the sperm donor wanted to remain a bachelor.

[@m0L3ify]

@Thincow lol how would you even define that? silly

[@TheKaniamania]

He's a great man, but how if he knew his wife cheat on him. I feel bad for him

[@JW-qz4jl]

Your grandmother cared more about herself, I know my grandmother did the same thing, what if your biological grandfather would of wanted to be involved but your grandma said no

[@rashardstallworth9240]

It's a blessing that you had someone to love you

[@discordia867]

I've always wanted to get a genealogy DNA test done but I am afraid that I'll find out that I really am related to all my family members...

[@yummycookie3429]

A😊

[@ashleyrubiolevine]

I literally laughed out loud 🤣

[@CosmosC0S]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@linnymaemullins3319]

😂😂😂😜

[@claudiahern4695]

Same 😜

[@patty4709]

I was 80 when I found, thru Ancestry, my biological father. Unfortunately my dad passed away before DNA testing. I was a one night stand. I have made contact with a brother who has visited me twice from another state. I have spoken with a sister. We have plans to all meet this year. I am so thankful for Ancestry. I now know something of my blood line. The questions have all been answered and I have pictures. I’m now at peace.

[@tesstickle6462]

That's awesome 🥰 glad you got contact

[@sheatopianvillage_2336]

I'm so happy for you....especially that you found each other and the ultimate; peace of mind Enjoy your new family!

[@ot9twicee117]

I am so happy for you :))

[@ncasti]

You were NOT a "one-night stand". GOD doesn't make mistakes.

[@karenchmielewski4541]

I found out at 62 years old via Ancestry DNA test, that I was not the only sibling that didn’t belong to my Dad. Two of us had the same bioDad, one had another BioDad, and only the first born was a true child of the man I thought was my Dad. It’s been a huge shock for all of us.

[@andyriggs6613]

Her adopted father was a real man. He cared for her and loved her like she was his.

[@franki2524]

She was ❤️

[@fivelittlemonkees]

After he essentially lied to her about her heritage and stole many years worth of possible memories of her bio father from her. This is disgusting.

[@fivelittlemonkees]

What he her mother and step dad did was wrong. And you can tell that, if you have any decency in you, by acknowledging the pain within her at never having met her FATHER. Its written all over her face.

[@DesScorp]

"He cared for her and loved her like she was his"; and in the end, she pined for a man that was basically a sperm donor. Maybe there's a lesson here about trying to raise other men's kids.

[@JannieMette]

Yes he was amazing! Taking a child in that isn’t yours biological child like that ❤️

[@udiclays]

"It all started in the summer of 1969" isn't that how everything starts 😭

[@NunayoBisnez]

😂

[@deborahburroughs8905]

Well actually yes!😉

[@miimuse6045]

😳😳😳🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️😹😹😹 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽💯💯💯❤️❤️❤️

[@neenmach]

My Mom was a year earlier. I was born June 1967, adopted 1969, so for her it was 1966. I wish she’d answer my letters...maybe one day. This woman had her biological Mom, she shouldn’t be to upset. But I do understand her feeling of never being able to meet. But isn’t that what heaven is for, to meet those who love you?

[@porshialyde]

😂😂

[@moniquejohnson8427]

Every child has the right to know who their biological parents really are. No matter what. Especially, for medical reasons as well.

[@ironmaven1760]

I agree...Mom should have told her earlier...given her the opportunity. Now it's forever too late and you can tell she wanted so badly to meet him.

[@DoubleDogDare54]

I disagree. I disagree with these "open adoptions" where the biological mother loans her kid to a couple, stays in contact with the kid, then at 18 she takes the kid over again, thanks for raising my kid for me. I agree with kids being told they were "chosen", but that should be the end of it. No opening up the records at 18 and having kids and biological parents hunting each other down, because sometimes those parents don't want to be found. Sometimes the kids don't like who they find when they meet face-to-face with the bio that produced them. THEN WHAT? Your parents are the people who raise you, end of story.

[@DoubleDogDare54]

@@ironmaven1760 She wanted to meet a fantasy. A man she imagined and almost certainly never existed. She owes her fidelity to the man who gave her his name and raised her, not a will-o'-the-wisp who took sexual advantage of her teenaged mother, then disappeared.

[@deniseowens1163]

True but that was a different time.

[@moniquejohnson8427]

@@deniseowens1163 Say what now? 🤣

[@melanie7781]

At the end of the day you had loving parents who raised you. That is more than some children get in this world.

[@andthetruthis3224]

Absolutely true! I didn't meet my biological father until I was 26years old and I really wished I hadn't, he was married to a unwelcoming woman who was only five years older than me, he had left 3 children behind in the city I was born in, all born the same year. I happen to be his oldest. What a low-life individual he was; dropping babies all over creation and not taking care of any of them. All I had to say to him was "thanks for the seed" and distanced myself from him...not worthy of my time! Grew up with an abusive step-father that did horrible, unspeakable things to me that I'm sure my Mother knew, she was a child, only 17 when she had me, had to sit on the front row of the church and be spit on for being pregnant without being married, she never got over the shame of having me.. My stepfather was extremely violent there was never any peace in our house he would beat me and my Mother, violence all the time, he would burn me, molest me, etc. I have the burns on my arms to prove it. My Mother didn 't make good choices. I tried to have him arrested after my Mother died but the statue of limitations had run out...since when is there a statue of limitations on child abuse!? Now all of them are dead. I am finally having a peaceful harmonious life! Thanks to a good therapist and a strong will to heal, it is never too late to have a quality life!

[@YA-qj8fx]

@@andthetruthis3224 Wow, you could write a book based on this. I'm glad you survived and are thriving.

[@queenofcheap6310]

@@andthetruthis3224 Oh Lord, I'm so sorry to hear of your pain. I truly hope you have found peace & happiness in your life now. You sound like a very strong woman. I've just prayed for you. Love & blessings from Australia 🙏 ❤️

[@nildabridgeman8104]

Absolutely.. my mother & father hated me. Scared me terribly to this day and I'm almost 50

[@bossjean6685]

Wow I have a similar story...my mother was pregnant with me when she met my dad. She was killed when I turned 4. Dad adopted me. At the age of 22 I found out he wasn't my biological father but that didn't matter to me. He stuck around not the other guy....

[@freds.9407]

You have a great dad. Be proud.

[@rosarabin824]

♥️

[@TheOriginalRick]

I have a somewhat similar story. Mom was newly pregnant with me when she met Dad, and they got married a few days later. Since Dad was a widower with two kids of his own, I am sure he could count the weeks and realize what happened. Since they were married when I was born there was the legal assumption that he was my father, and therefore no adoption or anything such as that. He raised me without ever once hinting or acting in any way that I wasn't his. When I had my first kid it gave me pause, because now I could count weeks also, and realize that something didn't add up properly. I asked Mom, and she was so heartbroken I never asked her again. Wasn't worth it. It wasn't until long after both of them passed, and I took the DNA test a few years ago, that I found my bio-father. He also passed many years ago, almost certainly not knowing I existed. His kids, my half-siblings, have welcomed me into the family with loving open arms. They were delighted to find me. I know that is not the way it always happens, but I struck real, honest gold in my discovery.

[@icturner23]

I'm happy that your dad was there for you, and very sorry about your mum, but did the other guy abandon her or did he never know about you?

[@icturner23]

@@TheOriginalRick It sounds like your biological father must have been nice too, so your mother ought to have told you, and him. It *would* have been worth it because there were so many more people's feelings than just her feeling upset. I'm saying this as an adopted person. Having always known means that I have no interest in looking for my biological relatives -- trying to keep these things secret just backfires. Anyway, never mind. It's done now and I hope everyone still alive has come to terms with it.

[@adeladevere2013]

The man who raised you and loved you as his own daughter, that is your true father.

[@mountaingirl2267]

Bebechen no she had a father that was a lifeguard that never even knew her which is very sad

[@julienielsen3746]

@@mountaingirl2267 -It's so sad that her mother didn't tell her earlier so she could have known him.

[@jzwalz51robin45]

@@mountaingirl2267 Sounds like the man who raised her will never get the respect he deserves. Guess adoption should never be an option

[@jzwalz51robin45]

@@taliachula Step fathers are not respected, only used. Sounds like it is not worth it to adopt anyone

[@dianebrady6784]

Many parents love their children SO MUCH that they give up kids for adoption. Don't assume otherwise. Also educate yourself on sexual assult of stepchildren by their so called stepfather. It's way more common than you think.

[@pixelada]

I met my real father at 27, and there was no instant connection, no sense of belonging, nothing. It was like meeting any other new random older guy.

[@andthetruthis3224]

I was 26 when I met mine...I wish I hadn't but then I might have imagined he was a good human being....NOT!!!

[@robertkirchiro5183]

I was 32.... just some random guy?? coulda been anybody....the anti-climax of my life......?

[@sarahk2722]

23andMe: Through our years of exhaustive research and data gathering we found a strong conclusion come out of our data: people that should be using condoms are not using condoms.

[@typeorulz]

Truth!

[@NSCFrosty]

Lollollpppl pomp p

[@bridgetbloodstone1886]

Ain't that the truth

[@yolandawilson6619]

Some of yall missing the point, she's not going against the man who raised her. She simply just found out he wasn't her bio father and now she has this whole other side of who she genetically is. No one is blaming anyone. It is not hard to understand that she's feels lost.

[@TitoTimTravels]

No one in the story is blaming anyone... but too many of the armchair warriors are... Welcome to the interwebs. 😎

[@ranjanbiswas3233]

It's that man's fault not her. He tricked her. He is a piece of shit. She is really guilty and Horrified of the truth. That's why religious families are irritating.

[@lunaxz36]

@@TitoTimTravels everyone in these comments are like why look

[@valeriedemello1794]

When you shake a family tree, you might not like what falls out.

[@YunikuYosefMomoka]

You would have a child and lie to them about who their father is. Shut up.

[@withhopenadia388]

Her biological dad died without knowing of her, family secrets hurt, that’s a scar that can never be erased. I’m glad her stepdad treated raised her as his own.

[@richardwestwood8212]

Give me some hope Nadia 💕💕💕

[@reinamacaren-a4132]

He was a lifeguard. Something tells me that she may have a lot of 1/2 siblings🤔

[@richardwestwood8212]

@The Artist even animals don't do that

[@AM.000]

@The Artist uh how do you figure that? The biological father moved away before the mother knew she was pregnant. The mother was never able to find the bio dad. So how, in your mind, did the step-dad get in the way of a guy who disappeared?

[@Kara_Kay_Eschel]

The bio dad died and the secret is the sad part of this story, but her stepdad loved her like his own which is the happy part of this story.

[@tamicaalsheshi6809]

I told my daughter when she was 5 and kept telling her about her bio dad until she could understand, we were in hs, he was my first and I got pregnant the first time..he ended going to prison for 15 years as soon as we were out of school ,I moved on and got married and had one son as well, he raised her like his daughter . She finally met him in 2011 ,she was 20 years old, they hang out now and have a decent relationship, I'm happy for them because he had a son the same time she was born and he died in an accident last year, he never met him, the second son is alive but his mother died giving birth to him at 19 years old..I'm glad she met her deceased brother and the one that's living younger than her were actually good friends with my son and I told her that's your brother too, it was crazy how they met. I'm just grateful she knows and I never hid anything. Peace to all

[@kawaibakaneko]

You did good! Children accepts everything so easily, while learning about her bio dad could have destroyed her as a teenager.

[@s.archuleta3570]

My biological dad always had excuses as to why he would never come to see me here in Kansas as he was in California but he only started really getting excited once he became a grandfather to 4 grandsons! Having a daughter wasn't enough, I guess?!? My stepdad was my true dad who raised me all 43+ years so far and my bio-dad died missing out on so much! His BIG loss!

[@thetruthhasconsequences58]

Careful that he's not a pedophile or gay.

[@marysylvie2012]

Her real father is the one who adopted her, raised her, loved her, comforted her.

[@hersheysfloyd]

They both are. The first one had no knowledge sure he would've been there for her

[@bingbong-yu9et]

April R Her biological father you mean, not her “real” father.

[@hersheysfloyd]

@Kourtney Figtree Exactly. Totally agree. May 2020

[@dorispoole2574]

@April R thanks

[@rossluther9848]

Maury left the room.

[@stayreal5083]

My stepfather raised me from the age of 3. Even when him and my mother divorced, he still stayed in my life, because no matter what I was his daughter. Loving a child does not mean it has to be your blood. Because, my biological father did not give a "shit" about me. His loss because I turn out to be a successful and wonderful women, in which my step father tells me how proud he is of me.

[@susanmulvey6311]

Bless your Dad for being a real father to you! His love and care gave you the confidence to make you a successful woman! I’m sure he IS very proud of you and you should be proud of yourself too!

[@austindreher2791]

That's how my Dad was. Though he wasn't my bio Dad. He was ALWAYS there for me. When my Mom and him divorced he was still there. When I got married he walked me gave me away. Yes I'm a woman. And he was there when my boys were born and was there until he passed away 😢.

[@mizera_mykle]

@@austindreher2791 If heaven is real I've no doubt your father is waiting to embrace you once more. He likely watches over you to ensure you don't arrive too soon.

[@johnhuber354]

Aww. Wonderful Story.

[@mommyheada]

My dad met my mom when I was 3 he raised me my whole life. He didn’t have to. He chose to. I know my biological father. But my step dad will ALWAYS be my DAD.

[@Litzergam]

This is the saddest DNA story I've ever heard. The mother married and her daughter was raised by a loving father. But, on the other side, Cecil never married, lived alone, died alone, and never knew he had a daughter. With most DNA stories, both sides have full lives.

[@cmo_rocks]

I discovered my dad had the same life. 4 girls. All a different mom. She likely has sisters.

[@PoodleParti]

He probably had a full life at beaches all around the world.

[@BooksbyAFoster]

The man that raised you is your father... be glad you have such a good man.

[@kkhawk53]

I told my oldest son when he was at about 3 years old, and I continued to tell him until he understood.... secrets will eventually come out....

[@lockednloaded6346]

I've always known I was adopted...57 yrs old now. Waiting for my results to come back.

[@kimhorner7546]

Yes it does, and it hurts!

[@lockednloaded6346]

@KTMD Yes, My father and mother have both passed, I've talked to my 3 half brother's on my mother's side and I've had text conversation with my half sister on my father's side and there is also another half brother, her full brother. A half sister on my mother's side was killed when she was 17. My Mom who adopted me, just saw all their pictures yesterday, my new (blood relatives) family tree. She was really happy. .

[@lcbenites]

Yes it's best they hear it from you because it's hurtful when you hear from someone else. I was very hurt at the age of 8 when my immature jealous uncle told me his brother isn't my real father. He basically yelled it to everyone at a family party in front of my cousins. I was shocked and humiliated. 30 years later I still feel upset and angry about it. I had no idea my loving father wasn't biologically mine!

[@MrBuckaroo2014]

Yes, they will.

[@courtneyelizabethh12]

I was adopted by my DAD. I've messaged my bio dad but no interest in meeting him. My DAD is my father as far as I'm concerned. Takes a real man to love a child he has no obligation to.

[@june2420111]

Same. I didn't find out until I had graduated from college, I was shocked but didn't judge my mother. She married my stepdad and he gave me his last name, and gave me all the love and protection a child needs. My biological dad does not reply to my emails, so I don't know if he's dead or alive.

[@ollieenger1424]

Try not to take it personally. People can’t always revisit THEIR choices. It’s too painful.

[@timeforthinkers7418]

When we are young so many of us make choices that turn out to be misguided. Passions overrule critical thinking. It is most unfortunate that some folks cannot face their responsibilities when that happens. The saving grace in all this is we don't have to let it consume us. The men who step in to parent a child they did not bring into the world are living examples of love in action, love expressed, and the ones who go their own way may not have been good, loving parents so you are better off with the man who stepped up to nurture, protect, & guide, to treasure you. What a blessing.

[@brittany6315]

Amen!

[@tanyabrown9839]

My daughter feels the same way and has no interest in finding out which of two guys was her father as she said the man who raised her will always be her dad, she has no interest in a DNA test (so i'm left not knowing who my daughters dad is, one of the guys never knew that I got pregnant)

[@ashiba4024]

I can understand this woman's feelings. I knew I was adopted, however, my biological mother was a drunk and would never tell me anything about my father and I could only get snippets about him. Through ancestry I could find his family, he passed many years ago and I never got to meet him but my auntie his sister who is in her 80's has filled me in many parts of their life.

[@corimcmahon477]

Ancestry DNA should come with a warning label. I hear so many stories of heartbreak like this one.

[@lindamulhall1055]

Back in the day, being pregnant out of wedlock was shameful. Anyone who grew up in those days probably still feels the shame of it. Younger folks don't understand what it was like. You cant walk in anyone else's shoes! Stop judging.

[@kateruterbories2692]

I'm adopted from "back in the day" and boy are you right. My mother ran away and had me in secret letting strangers take me, telling no one. People went to great lengths to conceal an unwed pregnancy. So much has changed the newer generations cannot even begin to understand.

[@stormyr.3315]

True. I've known men in my family to step up and help a pregnant woman out of a jam by marrying them. I'm thinking of the 1950's through 1970's especially.

[@DesScorp]

"Back in the day, being pregnant out of wedlock was shameful.": and we've paid the price for abandoning shame ever since.

[@NDwhoelse]

I don’t think it’s changed that much, women still feel ashamed for being unwed mother. It’s hard to think that those then are parents and grandparents now still kind of keeping that same thinking and mindset no matter how much it hurt. Some break it or some continue that cycle

[@joshmyers3331]

True. My husband's grandmother's sister had a child out of wedlock and her mother adopted the boy and found out later he wasn't his real son.

[@jessicawilson8654]

This actually happened somewhat on my husband's side. His brother had a fling with a girl in high school. She got pregnant and didn't know that my brother in law was the father. When the kid was 21 he sent for DNA on ancestry, he connected to his grandmother and they figured it out. This actually happened within the last couple months. The kid thought his dad didn't want him. They are actually building a wonderful relationship now.

[@juliamartin4141]

My late husband couldn’t keep his pants zipped, so I told my daughter if she ever found out she had a half sibling I didn’t want to know anything about it. She has said she won’t do an ancestry dna.

[@kiairascofield201]

@@juliamartin4141 not to be rude or a troll but don't you think that's harsh like they didn't chose to be born wat your late husband did with those other women wasn't their fault you should wanna know n your daughter too because it is possible for them to have children n your daughter have children n they end up together will u get wat I'm trying to say 🤷‍♀️

[@Tracymmo]

@@juliamartin4141 Or you could be an adult and deal with the reality of the situation. Yes, that had to be painful, but don't but that burden on your daughter. She shouldn't have to keep secrets to protect you.

[@valerieosborne]

@@Tracymmo The mother only said she did not want to know the girl can find out for herself that is OK by the mother.

[@V.E.R.O.]

@@juliamartin4141 my father was the same, I'm pretty sure I have a sibling somewhere in Canada.

[@factsoverfiction7826]

Much sympathy to her mother, whose youth ended at 16. This young mother endured and built a beautiful family life for her child.

[@ThePortalTheory]

I've actually seen first hand how this hurts a family. My ex sister in law always looked different than her 3 younger siblings. My ex husband and I were 10yrs younger than her. One night they held a family meeting me and my ex were there. My ex mother in law told the family this same story. She met a military man and got pregnant. He ran off and got 3 others pregnant. My ex mother in law married a very wealthy man while pregnant he took care of her and the baby and had 3 more kids. They never told their kids until she was 30. My ex sister in law is now 56yrs old and still fights about it. Her biological dad turned out to be a loser. So she would get drunk a lot and just cry and cry.. its awful to lie to your kids!! BE HONEST WITH YOUR KIDS! Please!!

[@amylathrop8329]

Sounds like your xSIL is using this as an excuse to be a poor human being. So she finds out that her mom was RIGHT to leave that man out of her child's life, to save her from YEARS and YEARS of hurt and misery at the hands of a loser...and she's now a victim? Because she didn't know until she was 30? Come on! Some secrets need to stay secrets. This was one of them.

[@amylathrop8329]

Is it being dishonest or lying to your kids to protect them from an awful person just because they got half their DNA from that awful person? Look, I could not tell you who your father really is or I can tell you and you're subjected to abuse, abandonment, manipulation, drugs, alcohol, at the hands of that sorry excuse for a human for decades....which is the lesser of the two evils?

[@tayajaneway4628]

Any man can be a father, only someone truly special and loving can be a dad. Thanks to all of the lovely ones out there

[@GranTube]

I think it's the other way around the dad is the biological man that gives the life the father is the one that raises and loves the child

[@mukbangyesplease4905]

😢😭... man so sad her father died alone.

[@pixietherabbit3238]

I guess it is almost poetic justice. Her mother was a scared pregnant teenager. He chose not to have a relationship with the mother. What kind of guy "loves" you enough to have sex with you all summer and then doesn't even give you his address? A guy whose only interest in you is sex. He gets bored and moves on. He chose to be alone.

[@jkfarrow6881]

A person could have love most of their life and still die alone. You could even have a spouse out of town or just out shopping and you could collapse and die while at home by yourself. Married couples don't die together - one always lives longer and will often 'die alone.'

[@iamdivinelyabundant777]

Yeah

[@FreedomofSpeech865]

pixie the rabbit that is exactly my take

[@darkhorse9472]

It says on his gravestone 'Father and Son'...so he was a father. Maybe he wasn't alone like they said.

[@tessjones5987]

RIP Cecil.You have a lovng daughter and a nice young girl who was so confused. Mother really did what she thought was right.

[@mariapoulos767]

This is more popular than we think. My father adopted my eldest sister, I never knew we had different fathers until i was in my 20's. Some men are just outstanding humans.

[@valerieosborne]

My mother did not find out her father was not her father until she was in her 20s. Her biological father died when she was 18 months old of T.B. and her mother remarried and had a son who is my mothers brother. Mum said he was a wonderful man as she never knew the difference he treated them the same. Her bio family took her and her mother in when her bio father died in hospital but his mother would not feed my mother who was 18 months old. Her mother had to steal food and put it in her apron and go back to their room to feed mum. It effected my mothers health and later had to eat kidney and lambs fry to get healthy again. Back in the day 1904 her mother was protestant and her father was Catholic so his mother did not want her. I don't know how long they lived with her but obviously not longer than they had too. People do not realize how good life is today, no government pension back then. You should have seen how far and the unstable ground my mother's mother had to walk carrying my mother to the hospital to visit her husband and to bring back his clothes to wash and return them next visit. T.B. patients were in a separate place as it was contagious. They later found if you kissed the person you could get it. It is gone now.

[@jabow9999]

I know it's tough, but how wonderful that fabulous man became the father who brought you up.

[@MFSG67]

My mother did the same thing to me! The same thing happened too. When I found out who my real Dad was it's too late, he died a month prior. This lady was lucky that her step dad treated her well. I wasn't. I went through two step dads. The last one blurted out while in a rage for me to go find "where I belonged". I always thought my first step dad was my biological father. I totally empathize with her.

[@Tracymmo]

So sorry you went through that

[@Ilikefrogs..]

That's so awful. I'm sorry that happened to you.

[@patriciajrs46]

I am sorry that your life then was not happy. Not everyone gets that blessing.

[@adamchristoff4905]

Hi I only found out my dad was not my bio at age 55

[@amylathrop8329]

Did the same thing TO YOU? She did not victimize you. She did what she thought was best for you. Sometimes, moms are wrong about that, but most of the time, they're right, based on what they knew at the time. Get over yourself.

[@1sovereignmercy]

This is similar to my story. I found out by accident at 20 years old that I had been adopted at 6 weeks old. It is indescribable how this turns your world upside down. Like she said you grow up thinking you know who you are and who your family is, only to find out what you thought was true isn’t. It is very confusing to the adult adoptee to find out later in life.

[@katrinkasanfranciscobayare7364]

Your parents are those that raise you. I put twins up for adoption. I gave birth to them. They have parents that raised them and did a damn well good job.

[@Sheryl777]

"Your parents are those that raise you" I agree!.

[@katrinkasanfranciscobayare7364]

@@Sheryl777 Hi Sheryl, It was open adoption and I see them from time to time. And they call me by my first name. I won't be called Mom. Thank you for your message and have a great day💞 From, Katrinka

[@Sheryl777]

@@katrinkasanfranciscobayare7364 Hi! 😊

[@ailleananaithnid2566]

Well done! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 You made the unselfish choice. While most of us are biologically equipped to get pregnant, not all of us have what it takes to be parents. My parents never should have had kids. The psychological damage from abuse/neglect is immeasurable. It's the gift that keeps on giving & it screwed up all of us. Back when I was born, getting married & having babies was expected of every woman. That doesn't always work out well for the kids.

[@katrinkasanfranciscobayare7364]

@@ailleananaithnid2566 I would like to think that I'm a good mom. I do have a daughter that was born before the twins and then I have another daughter that was born after the twins. Both of my girls are very successful; one in college and the other in the world of work. The pregnancy of the twins was from a person I did not want a relationship with. He ended up being not a very nice person at all. He would have disrupted our entire lives and made life totally miserable had I kept the birth because I'm sure there would have been child support involved. I wasn't financially stable and I don't believe in abortions, thus my reason for adoption. He also relinquished his parental rights. I wasn't aware that I was pregnant until I was five months into my pregnancy... and I was not aware that I was having twins until two weeks before their delivery. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them and I often shed tears so it's pretty tough. Yeah it's pretty tough. Okay, so thank you for your message. Have a great day. 💞 from katrinka

[@sp1057]

Perhaps meeting with his surviving relatives might be helpful to her. It may be good for her to get some family history and health information.

[@Kuulei265]

Parents should reveal this as soon as they feel a child can understand it. My Husband and I elected to tell my Daughter as she entered Kindergarten. You release what information you feel the child will understand. Our Daughter has ALWAYS considered my Husband her “Father.” Even though I was able to find her biological Father, she loves and is loyal to my Husband. My Husband loves her like she was his. He would do anything for her. Sit down and discuss this as a couple.

[@gailbailey6945]

Kuulei265 . Bravo! Your honesty and your husband's love, made a difficult situation much better. Someone once told me: "We are only as sick as our secrets."

[@patrinacopeland265]

What one person's "should" is, may not be another's.

[@livingfinance]

What does societal judgment have to do with lying to your child all these years who is her real father. How is that fair to the child? What this woman do is wrong and there is no excuse for it.

[@medicamedico4335]

@@livingfinance lady you don't know the entire story. None of us can. Plus nobody owes you any explanation

[@livingfinance]

@@medicamedico4335 You are right she does not owe me an explanation but she does owe her daughter an explanation and she had a duty to tell her.

[@kellyprice1024]

Learning the truth early in life is always the best way. My Granddaughter always knew who her daddy was even thought she had a step dad.

[@LilyS1031]

These men that adopt someone else's child and become their real Dads, where would the world be without them? ❤️

[@mountaingirl2267]

You should never lie about this! Always tell the truth from the very beginning

[@sanaa8367]

@Susan Fudge Muslim women know their kids father unlike west women

[@norskawarrior1919]

Each situation is different. Sometimes waiting until the child is old enough to comprehend what occurred with a level of maturity.

[@MM-pj4bl]

YES EXACTLY

[@flazada]

My story is very similar. I never knew my birth father. He was what they called "trouble" back in 1980. I don't agree with my mom not telling me but I kinda understand it. He had 4 children and didn't raise a single one of them. I was brought to his attention when I was 35 and he shamed my mother and denies me even though I completely resemble his other kids. As far as I am concerned I'm better off.

[@diamondz4lfye313]

You gotta think, times were different back then. Multiple families had secrets and just kept it as such. My mother told me that back then, you wouldn’t know if someone wasn’t someone’s biological parent. They didn’t talk about it and just raised the kid as their own.

[@emmyblue30]

Does anyone else worry about companies keeping your DNA on file? It’s like we’re just handing a stranger our genetic makeup and expecting them to respect us as humans. I wonder if this is expecting too much in this day and time.

[@geomeopeoleo1740]

So some of the DNA is used to profile you for advertisers. Depending on the service they also use it for disease research.

[@24sirosaydeacker57]

@Ashley C no u

[@313girl5]

I think the government already has everyone's DNA on file. So...why not have fun. You won't be on this earth forever. Go ahead...clone me lol But be careful what you wish for 😂😂😂

[@313girl5]

@J Moore I'm also registered with "Be The Match" on the bone marrow donor list. If everyone would fui this like they do the DNA sites, many people's cancer would be cured. Its a real shame that more people don't know about this site.

[@313girl5]

@J Moore No, I joined when I was about 32 yrs.old. I knew of a teenager where bone marrow saved his life from someone all the way in Germany. It is something free to give, it grows back, why not if it can save someone's life, right? They really need African Americans to sign up for it. That's who's in the greatest need of donors.

[@RandiMEE]

She was so blessed to have two parents who loved her and raised her. I understand the desire to know I about the unknown part of ourselves ,but I hope she doesn’t forget the blessing that she got in being raised by caring and loving people. Her real father was the man who raised her

[@saumyas4114]

Proud of the mom! Also, I'm so sorry the daughter never got to meet him. But, her real dad who adopted her is the hero who was right for her!

[@kimberlylee85]

People who have not had this happen to them can't understand what it really does to a person. I too found out at age 50 that my mother had lied to me my whole life about who my bio dad was. He died in 1993 so I had no way of ever filling that void in me. It completely changes everything. All the things about your life you thought you knew, is gone in an instant. And yes you still have your family you grew up with and the father that raised you. And there is still love for them. But it opens a pandora's box of emotions and questions that can never be fully dealt with because your FATHER is dead! Please don't lie to your children, everyone has the right to know who they are and where they came from!

[@mrchrislatino]

I found out at age 44 or 45. Both of my parents were married but not to each other. I always feel lucky that it happened otherwise I simply wouldn't be here.

[@LynnHarr]

My Mom gave up three children for adoption in the Washington DC area or Virginia in the late 50’s, early 60’s. I wish I could find them. I have submitted DNA via AncestryDNA & 23 & Me. I’m waiting.

[@amyjones8114]

Julia Gamble ...I hope it turns out to be a happy ending😊

[@Lynnbikechick]

upload to FTDNA.COM and GEDmatch.com

[@YourRoyalMajesty.]

Good luck Julia 😊 I hope you find them.

[@bunny_0288]

Good luck with your search

[@mindakahn9964]

Julia Gamble Try CRI genetics. They are linked to Harvard. They do not sell your results to big pharmaceutical. But, they are slow.

[@hannahwhitworth3630]

It makes me so sad that pregnant teenagers used to get sent away to homes so that the families wouldn’t have to deal with people knowing about it. Abandon your child during one of the hardest and most unstable parts of their life to save your own reputation. Gross.

[@justpassingthrough4802]

I don't agree with what you're saying. Are you sad that you live in an age where teenaged girls can legally kill their unborn babies through abortion? Are you sad that in the US more black babies are aborted than are born? And if you think that going through your teenaged years is going to be the toughest part of your life....you are in for a rude awakening.

[@d.j.7069]

I went to high school with two fine people, one a senior and one a junior, who died together in a car parked on a hill. The newspaper reported that the autopsy showed the female was 3 months pregnant. This is an example of how ignorant those time were. The kids never had a chance!

[@hannahwhitworth3630]

@@justpassingthrough4802 you’re bananas

[@tdotp1618]

Imagine how many other "mom's" are doing the same horrible thing. This is truly sad and unfortunately can't be corrected. Self-preservation makes some people do evil shit.

[@georgewagner7787]

If you are under 50, you can't know what it was like. People didn't talk about these situations. This woman said she agonized over what was the right thing to do.

[@karenp7601]

Things were so different back in those days. Good thing her grandparents allowed for her mom to keep her and not give her up for adoption. Hope she can heal the hurt of not knowing her biological father, but be glad that she had a great man that raised her as his own. Blessings from a Chilean Latina woman in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada 🇨🇱🇨🇦🥰😘💙💜

[@texastea5686]

Her father was a handsome young man😍 so sad he never knew he had a daughter and that she never got to meet him 😔

[@texastea5686]

@Ray Kelly what is YOUR problem? Are you a foreigner who doesn't understand basic English? Do you NOT understand what a compliment is? I never said his looks had anything to do with anything. It was an observation. He was a handsome guy. Too bad your character is so ugly.

[@sushiluvrluvzme]

@@texastea5686 yeah but you're clearly connecting his looks to meeting him. Just cause he's handsome (your perspective) doesn't mean she had to meet him. What does looks matter in this case? Was she going to hit on her dad like those cases where the women never knew their dad's and then meet and somehow in love? It's sicknessing how looks matters so much. For all you know he could have been single for that long cause he was a bad person so why should she meet him?

[@texastea5686]

@@sushiluvrluvzme chingado. No one here has basic English comprehension skills. I never said she missed out on meeting him because he was handsome. Or that his looks were everything or that good looks = a great person/personality. Look at Ted Bundy. He was a fairly handsome dude. So was Stalin when he was in his 20s. It was 3 simple statements: 1. He was handsome 2. He died never knowing he had a daughter. 3. Too bad they never got to meet

[@sushiluvrluvzme]

@@texastea5686 reread what you wrote. Do you have a doctrine degree in English? The way your phrased it can give assumptions. Haven't you learned in English that the way sentences are phrased is important?

[@texastea5686]

@@sushiluvrluvzme no. No "doctrine" in English. So why are you pissed off?

[@housesing]

Through ancestry. I found my mother, brother and sister after 60 years. My mother put a fake name on my birth certificate so that’s why it took forever to find her. Thank god for Ancestry!! Now I have family ❤️

[@DamiesEvilTwin]

Gotta love how misogyny hurt so many people in one single story, think about how many others there are

[@lisax3331]

I did the test and my biological family came to find out that my father cheated because here I am. I was given up for adoption. But they've all embraced me. But he got put on blast!

[@dallasoch4040]

How terribly sad! At least her adopted father treated her the way any father should. I think everyone deserves to know where they come from. It's too upsetting to lie to children their whole lives & find out later(in this case, too late) that they are someone else

[@michellemaria8862]

I feel for her. My mom was deacesed when I found my birth family and I found out her husband was abusive and had her cremated against my family's wishes and then threw out her ashes. She had had 2 strokes, was paralyzed on one side and she fell out of her wheelchair one time and he left her on the floor. I am a RN and hate the fact that I could have helped her if I only had known her. 💔

[@ms.farmgirl]

The story shouldn't stop there. She should find out if Cecil had siblings that are her aunts & uncles or if she has extended family beyond him. There is far more to uncover if she reaches out to find all her fathers side of the family.

[@thetruthhasconsequences58]

She did find her dad through his NIECE, her paternal FIRST COUSIN

[@nickybee800]

Something similar just happened to me. Initially when I found out, my entire world felt like it was crumbling around me. I felt my whole life had been a lie. But then came the forgiveness. My mom was just doing what she thought would be best for me. And I love her unconditionally so it was easy to forgive her ❤️❤️

[@TheOriginalRick]

Yes. Sometimes you do what you have to do and hope for the best. Choices made 20, 30, or 60 years ago don't always stand up well when they are examined in the cold light of today. But they may have been the best choices that could be made back then. We live with it, knowing that someday someone down the road may be looking at our choices.

[@patrickodonnell9388]

I don't see a issue here the man who loved her and raised her is her father. Shit happens! My dad raised 4 girls who were not his as if they were and they loved him for it. One of my sisters still has no idea who her real dad was and she could care less because dad loved her as his own.

[@martyharless5097]

That's fine for a sperm donor who knows he's the biological father and doesn't want anything to do with the child.

[@Lesbiana31]

Your dad is a real man! :)

[@teresaevans4840]

Thank you , you are blessed have him.

[@tenishastephenson9242]

This is how people end up dating their siblings for lies like this

[@patrickodonnell9388]

@@tenishastephenson9242 your right and it's happening everyday in black and white poor neighborhoods across America because father's aren't in there lives and mothers won't let them in and don't tell the children who he is.

[@reddrockingeezer]

How can the video end stating "It's unclear if he knew he fathered a child." when his Gravestone clearly says "FATHER AND SON"?

[@lilc5353]

Good point 😮

[@nobleinthought8019]

You can not only see that the mother is heartbroken about the secret for so long, but also the desparation and sadness she felt when Cecil dropped her like a hot potato after summer ended.

[@mandyellis876]

I don’t see that. I see a woman who advisedly hid the story from her daughter, who lost the opportunity to have any relationship with the father she never knew she had. Heartbreaking for both the father and daughter. As the mother said, the only thing she’s done is hurt her daughter.

[@vickineurer1597]

I have a similar story . I didn’t know about my biological dad until he was dead for 10 years. I understand the pain you are going through and the questions you probably still have. You are not alone

[@YourAverageChick]

Omg I'm so sorry to hear this,I myself have been wondering about my real father because I was told at 13 that the man that I thought was my father was not. And I always heard things but defended my mother not knowing that I was lied to for many years. Hopefully the family you have through him can fill you in on his memories 🙏❤

[@YourAverageChick]

@Adeline Tyler ,even though your mom may be upset about you finding your half sibling you should still meet.You never got a chance to meet your biological father and I'm so sorry for that but you should give him a chance so you can get to know more about him and your other side.Good luck🙌

[@YourAverageChick]

@Adeline Tyler 🌸👑🙌 Brooklyn NYC!

[@YourAverageChick]

@Adeline Tyler 🙌👑

[@DIMONDGIRL860]

Awwww, sorry to hear that. Hugggss ❤️

[@v0mitt718]

“Back in the summer of ‘69!” MADE ME THINK OF THIS SONG 😭😭

[@incandescentlyhappy7639]

Bryan Adams

[@carolgrier7774]

Haha. Best year of my life! 16 and no worries😁

[@thommysides4616]

@@carolgrier7774 Yeah!

[@SwapPartLLC]

I came her looking for this! Thank you for not letting me down!

[@maryrose8478]

Secrets and lies never do any good. I'm holding onto two family secrets and sometimes I think I should just get everyone together and reveal the truth and we can all deal with the aftermath.

[@tashie6288]

What’s the secret? Huh? You can tell me! Please.

[@abcdefghijk8925]

Spill the tea!!

[@itssmiller3803]

You need to spill whatever truth is being hidden, it's not healthy to keep secrets

[@elliebellie7816]

How is it you know the truth and no one else does? They may also know the truth and think they are protecting YOU by not telling.

[@PrivateMrs.T]

All these moms cheating on their husbands in the 70’s and 80’s gettin caught now.

[@barbaraclaytor2955]

My dad was not my real dad but he was my father he did everything for me

[@qxotic1]

These types of secrets always come to light, one way or another, and end up hurting people. Unfortunately I’ve experienced it too.

[@crissypoo5087]

💔although heartbreaking, I’m glad that the mom’s husband stepped up to raise her child as his own.

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

I understand her pain and that is why we shouldn’t keep secrets like this from our children. That being said, the man who raised her as his own IS her father. .

[@HoneyBunchesMcLover]

I understand everyone’s dismay at the mother keeping it a secret from her & it would’ve been a wonderful thing for this woman to know, but I think it’s only right to try to view it from the mother’s angle as well. She was 16, basically a kid, had her parents treat her & the pregnancy like a tragic shame, sending her away to have the baby, possibly alone (her parents not present, just hospital staff), and she was likely barred, by her parents, from contacting the father, IF she even knew how. I’d wager psychological effects of all that were a big part in her keeping quiet. As sad as it was for this woman to have never known her biological father, it sounds like she still had a good life & did have A father in her life, even if it wasn’t her biological one. It’s terrible the bio dad passed before she could reach out to him though...

[@ohmeowzer1]

HoneyBunchesMcLover agree 100%

[@tonyhomer3133]

Don't try to excuse this bitch

[@martyharless5097]

The natural father worked as a lifeguard at the beach. They would have records of him working there. Her parents would not be able to Bar her from contacting him when she was an adult. She owed it to her daughter and to the Lifeguard.

[@sagittariusmoon1043]

I can see why she did it ,,, but I do think she needed to of said something far earlier than this xx them not being able to meet is just to painful xx I'd be devostated if it was my dad 😑

[@HH-kg4fq]

@@martyharless5097 the lifeguard company may have refused to disclose a former or current employee's contact info. In 1969 or 1970, reaching someone was not as easy as it is today. As a 16 yr old, you dont know what resources she had. Or, who knows if she did reach out to him and he rejected her and the pregnancy (baby). Maybe she doesn't want to tell her daughter that her biological father rejected her. Outright Rejection can hurt more than him not knowing about her. You really dont know the whole story. My own parents divorced when I was 2. My mother raised me alone as a single mother. My father didnt want to have anything to do with me from then on. I can count the number of times I saw him you have my whole life in one hand. And I am 60 years old. The number of times that I saw him, he told me he would call me again and that we would for the relationship, but he broke every promise. His direct projections have hurt me more than not knowing.

[@mirrormirror444]

Honesty is always best folks, we need to know who we are.

[@YunikuYosefMomoka]

It's only fair.

[@TimCurry04]

I say this all the time... there's a difference between being a dad and a father. The father raised you.

[@alchemist6098]

Life is a blessing no matter it’s origin. It is a blessing that your 16 year old mother was able to keep you and raise you and finally share the secret when you were ready to hear it. Heartwarming, …….remember regrets are part of living life.. Embrace the bittersweetness of this revaluation and use it to grow spiritually. Blessing.❤️🙏

[@anainmazatlan]

Never keep a secret like that from a child. It’s devastating when they find out on their own when they are grown or worse yet, when they are teenagers!

[@anainmazatlan]

@@ddss3042 I agree it's a tough choice. I've seen the results of telling and not telling in my own family, so I'm only speaking from my personal experience.

[@katiephalen3483]

So much pain, and so much more love. I’m very close to this happening to a close biological family member. Story so similar. I can only imagine how many of us are being touched by this. Time really helps. Taking it slowly really helped, all of us involved. Being sensitive to all parties, and giving as much space when needed, especially, if some family members have passed. I pray all families going through this, are mature, loving, and sensitive. God bless.

[@believeinyourself7511]

I found two sisters from taking a DNA test two years ago. Half sisters. We are so close now. Our Father died 21 years ago. And so did my Grandmother. I wish I could have met them both. I plan to meet my sisters.

[@Bayg415]

After 61 years my mom just found out that she's actually not German and that the man she believed was her father who had died when she was 1 year old was actually a Irish American vet.. she found 7 new half siblings..

[@Ilikefrogs..]

Damn, her dad really got around!

[@theadventuresofchopperandp283]

I was raised by a man who wasn't biological related to me. My mother ran away with me when I was 4. I never remembered my bio father. I now have a relationship with him. However, I wouldn't want a thing to be different because the man who raised me was amazing, and I couldn't imagine what I would have turned out to be if I didn't have him.

[@andthetruthis3224]

You are blessed it could have been so different I had an abusive stepfather who did horrible things to me. So happy to hear good stories!

[@Songbird36able]

We as parents have to be honest with our children no matter how hard it may be. Secrets really hurt. What's done in the dark will come to the light, and when it does it can ruin someone.

[@nicole14355]

Her daddy was still her daddy. The end of this made me cry. Its so beautiful and sad. She loved a man she never met. Didnt even know he existed until 5 year after he died. Its heartbreaking.

[@robvazquez9430]

I feel her pain. this happened to me too in 2017, except I was from an affair while my mom was married. My poor dad never knew. Ancestry could be a can of worms.

[@finalchapter24k]

Your mom was a piece of crap for having an affair on her husband.

[@screamingminnow920]

my paternal grandfather passed away on my 15th birthday. it’s painfully bittersweet that i didn’t know until a few months ago. i’m still grieving, a fact i don’t realize until i think about him and get emotional. my birthdays aren’t just for me anymore. i felt the pain in her soul when she said he had a heart attack and she never got to meet him. time is a wonderful healer❤️

[@SweetUniverse]

I never met my natural father, either & he died 4 years ago. From asking people about him, it seems that he was gay. I wanted to meet him, but he always avoided me. I'm hoping he wasn't ashamed of being gay. Please don't ever be ashamed of things. Put yourself out there and just be your honest self. In the long run you'll be happier you did.

[@YunikuYosefMomoka]

No.. If he avoided you then he was a deadbeat. He didn't want you.

[@lesliesmith5797]

We are always wanting to do the right things for our children and to protect them. This lady was no different. 🦋

[@laurol4342]

Biodad may have been alone because he was the kind of person to use a girl and never call her again. He was 65. Somewhere between 16 and 65 he never accumulated a group of people or even one person who cared enough to not let him die alone. That says a lot about him. This mom saved her daughter by providing a dad that cared and she blames the fact that biodad died alone on her mom. What a selfish person the daughter is.

[@darkhorse9472]

Something I've told my kids, 'You always get caught.'

[@lizjones7220]

So glad she was able to keep her daughter!

[@Paineinyourblank]

This happened far too many times in the 70s. my hubby didnt find out his father wasnt actually his father until he was 35. a close family friend just happened to mention it one day without thinking. HIs family were never planning to tell him

[@PunkMartyr]

The dad that adopted her what a hero.

[@nancyangel450]

My question is how has this affected the relationship between the mother and daughter. What good came out of this? The father, who most likely never even knew that the 16 yr old became pregnant. He is now dead. This was a time when shame on you if you got pregnant. This is sad. The mother did the best she knew, at that time.

[@mrsTraveller64]

Yes,I don't know either why each and every secret has to see the daylight.

[@pixietherabbit3238]

And what other choice did the mother have? The guy didn't even give her his address! She could easily have given her up for adoption. The baby was white and beautiful, so she would have been snapped up right away. Instead the mother kept her, loved her, and married a man who loved both mother and daughter. All this boo hooing about a man who didn't think enough of the mother to even give her his home address.

[@hannahthefallenangel788]

Exactly

[@valerieosborne]

Yes and the boy did not leave his last name and did not want to write to her, so she did not know where he was or who he was. I think she would have told him is she could find him.

[@jeffnaslund]

Found out I had older twin sisters through 23andme my mom had to give up for adoption. Have since connected with the surviving twin; her sibling having taken her own life in 2003

[@michaelnunnery6394]

A desire to know can often open a Pandorian Box of Pain

[@tiffanyprichard2197]

Well that just made me cry for all of them. And she favors her father. The man that adopted her as his own, she is very lucky to have him as well as her mother. It does change you. I watched my parents search for my father’s siblings and I’m glad he found them before he passed away.

[@iwantsifegold]

Ok in her defense she was 17 years old, and he was a lifeguard it was inevitable.

[@tanyabrown9839]

it makes one wonder how many kids this lifeguard may of had but never knew about.

[@cvdavison5209]

Wow this is amazing! I'm going to do this as a gift to myself this Christmas. Once in a drunken rage, my mother told me my dad was not my biological father, when I was 10 years old. I was quite happy with the news as I didn't care for him much either. So before the New Year, I plan to find out the other half of my family! By then I will have turned 64 years old. Was never overly curious before - reading about others has inspired me.

[@writerconsidered]

At least the step dad had informed consent. The amount of dads care for another man's child is through the roof without an knowledge.

[@forgoneconclusion2861]

All I can think of is Bryan Adams song 'summer of 69'. We all know what those days were like as teenagers. Young, carefree, partying with friends. Great memories!

[@dianecelento4974]

Anna Marie, you are blessed. You were chosen by your adoptive father to love you. Your mother tried to do what was best for you. You are more fortunate than most

[@MultiSassy84]

How was keeping that secret best for her... she literally robbed her of the opportunity to meet or form a relationship with her biological father. Yes, it was nice she married a man who raised her daughter as his own, but there was no reason she couldn't and shouldn't have told her! She had a man who she called dad, so what difference would the truth make.. I understand she was an teen mom who got sent away, but years later once she was married she should have reached out to that man and told him he had a daughter and told her daughter the truth.

[@rebeccao8895]

Many families, including my own, have new stories now because of 23andme. I think it’s more common than most of us know.

[@user-py8xw5bk1s]

I agree. I think these DNA test are needed to demolish these most often destructive "family secrets." People (children, unknowing spouses) deserve the truth even when the person that created the deceit (mainly the mothers) is refusing to reveal the biological truth.

[@billbombshiggy9254]

Yep. Something like that happened to us. I did a DNA test and a woman with an unfamiliar last name showed up as a second cousin, through my paternal side. I know all of my paternal cousins and she wasn't one of them. Long story short, my great grandpa had fathered a child with another woman. Meaning my grandmother had a half brother she didn't know about. They took the test seeking information about their fathers side of the family that they knew zero about. I'm glad I was able to give them the information they spent their whole lives looking for.

[@shirleynitka5030]

I found out at 59 that I was adopted. Thankfully my mother had an odd last name. I found my birth family. They knew I was out there & she wanted them to find me. I found them. I thought I was an only child. Now I'm the oldest of 6. Sadly the adults involved were all passed. I also lost 2 brothers before I knew. I lost another this spring. I always knew I was adopted even though they denied it. This summer I learned who my real father was. I was better off without him. Now I know my truths. Wish I could have made my moms life a little easier.