Alicia waited for 108 days from the time she sent a message on 23andMe to finally meet her real dad. Before that, for 34 years, she didn’t know him, and he didn’t know anything about her. When he found out, he was really surprised!
About 35 years ago, Alicia’s dad was 28 years old and having a really exciting time. He, along with his brother and friends, traveled all around the world to do something they loved – scuba diving. Eventually, they ended up in Micronesia, which has the island of Guam.
Alicia’s mom was in the Navy, and that’s where she met Alicia’s biological dad at a bar. They had a lot of fun for a few weeks, but then the group he was with had to leave. After he left, Alicia’s mom found out she was going to have a baby, but there was no way to contact him.
Alicia always wondered about her dad, who she didn’t know. She looked different from her family with her blue eyes, olive skin, and easy tan. Her ears were also unique, and she didn’t look like anyone in her family.
She really wanted to learn more about him, so in 2018, she joined 23andMe. She hoped to find some information but didn’t see anything for a long time. Then, in February 2020, when she checked again, she discovered that there was a man who shared 50 percent of her DNA.
Alicia was really scared because she had to send a message, and she didn’t know if the response would be good or bad. She was worried about being rejected and thought it could be a difficult situation. She was also concerned about the possibility of the person having a family or kids, and sharing the information could affect their lives. Alicia worked hard to write a perfect message, asking her friends for help. After sending it, she had to wait a long time for a reply.
A day later, he finally replied. I was really surprised that he answered. He seemed confused and wanted to know why it took so long. He told me he had been hiding where people could easily see him. I understood why he was puzzled. I had known about him for a long time, but he only found out about me a few weeks ago. Now he was curious about where I was born and who my mom is, hoping to solve the mystery.
Alicia wrote a back and shared stories about herself, her mom who serves in the Navy in Guam, and how they first met and had fun. Later, they talked on FaceTime. After a week, Alicia’s biological dad and his wife wanted to meet her, but an earthquake delayed their plan in March. So, they decided to wait for a better time.
They kept chatting on FaceTime and became good friends. Alicia met her biological dad’s two daughters and they became her new sisters. Finally, they all met in July, and Alicia really liked them all.
Alicia said: “Being part of this has been even better than I ever imagined. They welcomed me into their family and community with open arms. When we first talked on the phone, they asked me, ‘What do you want from this?’ I told them honestly, ‘I just want to get to know you, maybe be friends, and possibly know your family too. But if you’re not okay with that, I understand. I know it’s a delicate situation for everyone. I’m just grateful for the chance to talk to you.'”
He was really nice. He let me become friends with him and meet his family. I’m so thankful for that chance.
Alicia said that not all stories like this one are happy, and lots of people feel scared about reaching out and taking the first step. It’s a bit frightening. But you won’t know for sure until you click the send button.
