Best friends of 60 years discover a life-changing secret thanks to a DNA test

Some friendships form by chance, while others seem almost fated. For Alan Robinson and Walter MacFarlane, a bond that began 60 years ago on a football field in Hawaii has stood the test of time. But in 2017, their lifelong friendship took an unexpected turn when a DNA test revealed they were more than just best friends—they were biological brothers, as reported by Indy100.

MacFarlane, a retired teacher, had always been curious about his family history. He never knew his father, and it wasn’t until after high school that he discovered the woman he thought was his sister was actually his birth mother. "I only found out when I was older that the woman I thought was my sister was actually my mom," he shared. Encouraged by his daughter, Cindy, he decided to take a DNA test to learn more. When the results came back, Cindy noticed a match with the username Robi737—someone who had identical X chromosomes to her father. As she shared on Steve TV, she quickly put the pieces together. "My mum said to tell dad to call Uncle Alan because he flew 737s as a pilot for Aloha Airlines, and everyone called him Robbie as a nickname." That simple connection led to a life-changing revelation for both men.

To their shock, the DNA match confirmed they were brothers. "When we got the results back, it was discovered that Alan wasn’t only my best friend; he was my brother," MacFarlane said. For Robinson, the discovery was equally profound. "This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having," he said. "I had a younger brother that I lost when he was 19, so I never had nieces or nephews. I thought I’d never know my birth mother or have family. There were times when I did think, you know, I look like Robbie a little bit," MacFarlane admitted.

Yet the idea that they might be related had never crossed their minds. The two men shared their story with friends and family, describing the journey as an "overwhelming experience." They also learned they shared the same birth mother. Now, Robinson and MacFarlane are planning to enjoy their retirement together as brothers. "I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get over this feeling. This guy was, he was like an older brother all along," Robinson said, as per CBS News. This story proves how miracles happen in the most unexpected ways. 

In another heartwarming story, a teenager named Dayana Upchurch met her biological parents for the first time after being adopted 17 years earlier. The emotional reunion happened after Upchurch reached out to her biological father, Bryant Laws, through Facebook, overcoming her nerves to connect with the family she had only known about through her adoptive parents' updates. And she got an immediate response. The long-awaited in-person reunion happened at Christmas, with Upchurch meeting not only her parents but also her siblings, two sisters, and a brother. “To be able to look at people that look like me was kind of wild,” Upchurch said. Laws described the moment as “the feeling of that first hug, the first embrace, the feeling of being complete.”