“What do you want right now, Deanna?” asked my therapist.
“I want to be empowered in this situation and right now, I’m
feeling powerless.”
She reassured me I was not powerless. Then she helped me make a list of the ways I have power, or can get power.
One way that I am becoming a fully empowered adoptee is
through DNA testing.
This past Tuesday was a big day for me as I took my first DNA sample, in an effort to find my original father.
Some adoptees know exactly what I’m talking about concerning DNA, and
others have never heard of this concept before. When I casually mentioned it on the Adoptee Restoration Facebook page it brought a lot of questions my way from
people who knew nothing about it.
I must warn you: I am not an expert on DNA. I am a new participant. So if you ask me a lot of questions in the comment thread,
I'll need others in the adoption community who are more versed on this to step up to help me answer them. I would highly recommend
you go to the actual DNA testing company websites for more information, or
read Richard Hill’s website and book, Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA. Many of my adoptee friends including Lost Daughters blogger Lynn Grubb are undergoing DNA testing and in fact Lynn blogs about it and is a great resource I recommend.
Here’s an encouraging word I do want to give you today that
you may not be aware of. Many adoptees are finding their family through DNA. The technology
is amazing and surprisingly it is very affordable.
There are three companies that come highly recommended for
this purpose. They are FamilyTreeDNA, 23 and Me and Ancestry.com.
I am testing with all three companies. After the sample is mailed in, it takes about 6-8 weeks to get results. The company
emails the results with any current matches they come up with. As time
goes on, more results are received as others are tested. Just because you don't get results right away doesn't mean you won't.
There are many different reasons an adoptee might want to do DNA, including
learning more about your heritage, confirming surnames, finding parents,
siblings or other relatives, or learning more about your ancestors through your
previously unknown cousins.
Perhaps you are in a situation where no one knows the name
of your mother or father, or they are unsure of paternity. Your circumstance may be such that your mother
refuses to tell you your father’s name or perhaps they don’t know the name. DNA
testing is a possible solution.
No longer are we held hostage by lack of information or
refusal of information.
We can do something!
DNA technology is a major breakthrough -- and I personally consider it a gift from God.
Are you a praying person? I covet your prayers for my DNA
results. I have a lot of friends who are waiting along with me, for theirs.
Include them in your prayers too.
Answers bring a measure of healing, and
getting them is key on our journey.
