Woman takes DNA test, accidentally gives dad much-needed closure about his father almost 50 years later

Curiosity about our roots is universal—knowing where we come from can reveal a lot about who we are. But for most people, detailed ancestral records are hard to come by. This is where the Ancestry DNA test can help fill in the blanks. Reddit user u/Chillin_killin7 shared a touching story about how one of these tests played a major role in uncovering a long-awaited truth for her father. Living about six hours away from her biological dad, she decided to visit him with her sister and boyfriend one summer, leading to a discovery that changed everything.

"Last Christmas, I bought myself an Ancestry DNA package just for fun," the woman continued in the Reddit post, adding that she was interested in the idea of finding out where she came from. Her second goal was to trace her biological father's ancestry and find out about who her grandfather was. "My grandmother did not even know for sure. I believe my dad was aware of all the speculation, but chose to shut it out because he wanted to believe that the man who raised him was his biological dad. He passed long before I was born, so I never knew any of my potential grandfather’s family. My dad has ancestry himself but never purchased the DNA kit," the post read.

When she checked her DNA results, they showed a list of relative matches. She recognized a few names, but no one that seemed to solve the mystery. "Fast forward to this past summer and I’m sitting down at the kitchen table with my dad. I was showing him all the features that you unlock when you send in your DNA, then I clicked on the 'matches' tab. I started reading off the matches when he stopped me on one of them. The relative in particular went by the nickname, Aggie, online. He said, 'Like Agatha?' I confirmed that’s who it was," the post revealed.

It turned out “Aggie” was his aunt—his father’s sister. This match finally confirmed that the man who raised him was indeed his biological father. "He burst into tears because now after almost 50 years, he knows the truth. All I could do was cry with him as I saw closure fall over him. After he and I confirmed the truth, we talked more about other relatives and I filled in more on my tree. It was one of the most special moments I have ever had with my dad and I hope it brings some people a heartfelt smile," the post concluded. People in the Reddit community came forward to share their personal stories and appreciate the woman for giving her father a long-awaited closure.

u/Travelgrrl shared, "My Mother always used to say that she wondered if one of my older sisters was switched at birth (1950s) because they first showed her a fat baby but later brought a skinny baby into her. My sister did look different in hair and eye color from the rest of us, although she favored my Mom the most. A few of my sisters did the Ancestry thing and sure enough, she is our sister! We blame the old-fashioned childbirth drugs for my Mom's confusion." u/theheliumkid added, "What a beautiful gift to give your father, even if it was unintentional. That will be a special moment in his life forever." u/rajinis_bodyguard wrote, "50 years is a long time and he deserved that closure."