PARIS, Feb. 10 (Ren Wan) In recent years, DNA kit testing has become increasingly popular. Although this is illegal in France, some people are curious and want to know where they come from or use it to find their loved ones.
According to France's BFM tv, Audrey's family search trip reached an impasse in November 2019. She decided to have a DNA test. The woman, born in 1980, has been searching for her biological parents for more than a decade, but to no avail. Eventually, she found her birth parents in a very short time through the 23AndMe platform. At first, after DNA samples were tested, she found 4 siblings and through them her own biological parents.
In the summer of 2020, Audrey finally met her mother, but the two had a hard time building a relationship. Her mother has her own family and "she fears that others will know about her past, or that I have retaliated". Audrey said her life was in trouble and "it wasn't what I wanted".
But Audrey took comfort in her father. Audrey said, "He reached me very quickly and he was happy. He clearly remembers his relationship with his mother around 1980. But she kept the fact that she was pregnant. He regretted not being able to stay with Audrey all the time. Even though the father had a family of his own (a new partner, a son, an adult daughter), he invited Audrey to Corse to reunite with her loved ones.
French woman Astrid Mahon also had her DNA tested. She was tested to have 13 siblings in all corners of France. The kindergarten teacher said, "It's a bit of a strange feeling." She has been the only son in the family for the past 38 years. She knew early on that she was a child conceived through gamete donation (anonymously).
She once said to herself, "I might find one or two siblings who are also the children of sperm donors." Eventually, she found 13 siblings. They live in Rouen, Paris, Rennes, Vendée, Grenoble, northern France... Most of them know that they have children born through gamete donations.
Astri Mahon continued her investigation and found that between 1973 and 1981, private gynaecological clinics that supplied sperm to her mother did not strictly adhere to the relevant measures, providing multiple women with the same man's sperm.
In addition, Véronique also found his loved ones through DNA testing. Two years after her father's death, a friend in the family told Veronic, 45, "You have a right to know: your father is not your father." He raised Veronic, but he wasn't her biological father.
Veronic broke down when she learned that her mother was pregnant with her adoptive father before she became pregnant for a one-night stand. Eventually, she decided to have her DNA tested. In February 2021, she purchased DNA test kits from Israeli company MyHeritage online. Like other DNA testing companies, the company promises to build a family pedigree from DNA samples provided by customers.
Three weeks later, Veronic got his test results. She said her legs were shaking at the time. By comparing the samples, the Israeli company MyHeritage found that Veronic had 25 percent of the same genetics as a 40-year-old man living in Aveyron. This suggests that the man is her half-brother.
Veronic immediately got in touch with the man through the platform. She recalled, "He was surprised by my presence. But he knew that his father was hunting everywhere, so for him, it was expected. Veronic learned from the man that their biological father, Joël, lived about two hours away from her house. Joel's family revealed to him that he had a daughter he had never met. Joel, 71, recalls that Veronic called him that day and "I was very surprised."
Joel said, "At first, I couldn't remember her mother's face anyway. So, it took me a while to digest this. Two days later, I called her back and asked her many questions. She told me everything and showed me the DNA test results. Veronic said he seemed to be slightly frightened, but he quickly accepted the facts. He said, "At my age [to hear this], it's a gift."
Finally, the former lumberjack, car repair mechanic and construction worker finally recalled his relationship with Veronic's mother more than 40 years ago. The two had worked together in a bar, and he stressed, "But I didn't know she was pregnant."
After a month of exchanges, Joel and Veronic decided to meet. Joel said Veronic looked like her mom. He added, "We look alike too." Veronic's husband said the father and daughter had the same facial expression and the same way of speaking. Now, father and daughter exchange phone calls every week.