If you haven’t heard about the popular DNA tests around right now, they are causing quite the stir! With a quick swab of the mouth and a few weeks of waiting, you can find out, specifically, where you are from! For most, it’s a confirmation of things they already knew from their family. For others, it’s not as simple!
Many people take the DNA test and find out a little more than they originally bargained for.
One common “side effect” of a DNA test is learning that your family is a bit misguided on where they think they came from. You might have a whole tradition associated with a particular place only to find you don’t have any heritage there! There are stories all over the internet of people finding out they were wrong, or even that they were adopted!
For one man, it wasn’t his past that he learned about, but his present.
Gabe Kangas signed up for 23andMe, hoping to find a bit more about his DNA and history. The Holland, Michigan native was curious because he didn’t have that much info from his family about it as he was adopted.
“We just wanted to know a little bit more about my history because I don’t have a lot of information about my past,” Kangas said.
Gabe was adopted as a baby and has cerebral palsy.
With his health condition, he hoped to find more about his health history through the test. He and his wife didn’t know the crazy story that was about to unfold. When they took the test, they got back quite the result.
“According to the report there were like 700 matches,” Kangas said. “Then there was one report that said, ‘He’s got a 50% match to your DNA,’ and I went, ‘Whoa! Who is this guy?’”
Basically, the test was saying that he had a sibling who also took the test!
After some research, he learned he had a fraternal twin who lived in Washington! He knew he had a brother due to some medical documents that he was able to acquire, but his brother, Vince, had no idea.
Since taking the test, the two had learned a lot more about their pasts.
The brothers were born in Korea in 1987 and had been adopted soon after.
“(Vince) was found in an alley by some policemen. He was given a birthday and a name so we don’t even share any identifying information,” Kangas said.
Even though Gabe knew he had a brother, he didn’t think they would ever meet.
There really weren’t any good places to start looking, especially without any real documentation to rely on. He had just resolved that he would never really know him!
“I was not expecting to find him really ever. I came to the conclusion in my head that I’ll probably never see him and I would be OK with that but now that I have found him it’s super exciting,” he continued.
Since the crazy test results, the brothers have been in contact through FaceTime.
They are very different people, but Gabe’s wife 100% sees the resemblance! They plan to meet face to face and eventually have their own kids meet. That’s quite the story for the books!
Check out the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
