Johannes Finds Loving Family After a Difficult Search
-
by Talya ·
- January 14, 2020
- · User Stories
Johannes was adopted as a child and grew up in Germany. When he was 20, he decided to try to contact his biological mother.
I tried to get in touch with her, wrote her a letter with my picture, but she sent my letter back and wrote that she didn’t want to have contact with me.
He says this was partly because his birth mother’s life partner, at the time, did not know about Johannes.
One time I saw my grandmother, shortly before she died. Then I had no contact with my biological family for 25 years. I thought that would be it.
Johannes’s birth father was not mentioned on his birth certificate, and he had no further information about him.
Hoping to learn more about where he was from and to find his father’s family, he took a MyHeritage DNA test. When his results came in, he was contacted by a woman who was a 6.7% match: a first cousin once-removed (the daughter of his maternal grandfather’s brother) who lives in Japan. She had never heard of Johannes, but together they were able to connect the dots. She introduced him to her half-sister, who lives in Colorado, USA, and another sister who in Germany, like Johannes.
Johannes recently met his first cousin once-removed and her husband, who live in Germany.
She also informed him that Johannes’s grandfather was no longer alive, but his brother was — and he also lives in Germany! They live 700 km apart, and recently met.
“I am so happy to have a real relative who is so nice,” says Johannes. “I am very touched and never expected it. Hopefully, I will be able to get to know more family members in the near future.”
Have you made any wonderful connections via a MyHeritage DNA test? We want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below!
More from User Stories
Half-Siblings from Around the World Discover Each Other with MyHeritage DNA
Years ago, Gina McClelland met her biological father for the first and last time. After almost four decades of growing up without him, she Googled him, and ended up spending 3 hours with him at a mall. During that visit, he revealed that she...
I Never Gave Up Until I Found My Father
Erna Rusi, a MyHeritage user from Finland, was raised without knowing her biological father. A year ago she took a MyHeritage DNA test and received a match with a relative. With excellent research work and a lot of tenacity, she was able to find...
3% DNA Match Leads Woman to Reunite With Long-lost Father
Susana Boggs, a 50-year-old doctor’s assistant from Richmond, Texas, was raised without a father. Though her mother never spoke about it, there was a family friend named Nano who sometimes came to Susana’s birthday parties, and her sister suspected that he might have been...
Treasured Holiday Traditions: Announcing the winners of the #MyHolidayHeritage Challenge!
For the last two weeks, entries from the #MyHolidayHeritage Challenge poured in from all across the globe. Though this year’s holidays will likely look a bit different than years prior, many of your family holiday traditions will continue to flourish. Thank you all for...
The Surprising History of “Jingle Bells”
If someone asked you to name the first Christmas song that comes to mind, you’ll very likely answer “Jingle Bells.” The cheerful classic has become a universally recognized icon of Christmas, right along with Santa Claus, wreaths of holly, and the colors red, white,...
French Man Discovers Half-Sister in Texas and Finds Their German Roots
With many people around the world stuck at home last spring, many turned to genealogy and began delving into their roots. Gian Carlo David-Faliva, a 74-year-old MyHeritage user from France, jumped on the bandwagon and started to dig deep into his family’s past, with...
A Holiday Surprise: Descendants Get 100-Year-Old Holiday Cards From Their Ancestors
Oh the joy of receiving personalized Seasons Greetings from family and friends! This stalwart tradition of connecting with loved ones around the holidays may have evolved over the years, but the sentiment to share holiday cheer has endured. Still looking to spread holiday joy...
MyHeritage Helps German User Track Down a Jewish Family’s Descendant to Make a Long Overdue Apology
MyHeritage enables millions of users to discover their past and empower their future, and we have played a part in many incredible stories. Recently, a German MyHeritage user, Thomas Edelmann, spoke with us and requested help. His motive? To make a long-overdue apology. Today,...
MyHeritage Reunites Daughter with Father Who Didn’t Know She Exists
When Seraine Danner was 7 years old, she learned something earth-shattering: that the man she had known to be her father, wasn’t her biological father. After almost 10 years of searching, a DNA match on MyHeritage finally led her to her birth father, and...
Share