The controversial DNA testing company founded by Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe, has a proven history of connecting people with long-lost relatives. In the latest example of the company’s prowess, two half-brothers who had never known about each other’s existence have now met for the first time — thanks to the 23andMe test.
And, in what almost seems like a Hollywood turn of events, the siblings also learned that they both chose a career in law enforcement.
23andMe Connected the Brothers in June
In 2016, Boynton Beach Police Officer Eric Reynolds took a 23andMe DNA test. His initial goals included learning about his health and family history. Three years later, an email hit Reynolds’s inbox that would change his life forever. As he later told several media outlets, Reynolds sat stunned in front of the computer screen after reading the following:
“Good morning, my name is David Stull. According to 23andMe, we are half-brothers. I was adopted as an infant and have very little knowledge of my family history, so I have no way of knowing the validity of this.”
Sharing a Common Bond
What Reynolds and Stull discovered after that first email made their newfound connection even more exciting. Despite the adoption and a family secret that almost lasted a lifetime, the two had chosen the same career and lived less than three hours from each other.
Reynolds elaborated on the similarities between the two half-siblings. “It was like meeting a clone of me…we’re so alike in many ways.”
The two have met and definitely share some physical similarities, including similar noses, eyes, and face shapes.
https://twitter.com/BBPD/status/1156967415772831744
During their first meeting, Reynolds and Stull greeted each other with a warm hug. A friend captured the moment and shared it with the world via social media. Shortly after, they shared a shot of vodka in a bid to calm their excited nerves.
https://twitter.com/BBPD/status/1157316938504257537
The 49-year-old Reynolds grew up believing he was the oldest sibling in the family. It turns out that wasn’t the case as his half-brother, Stull, is 51 years old. Stull not only gained a brother thanks to 23andMe but has also taken up another new role: Uncle Dave.
It took some investigating for the Stull and Reynolds to learn what happened 51 years ago. They now know that they share the same father. According to the brothers, their father had a relationship 51 years ago with a woman in her late teens. When she learned of her pregnancy, she did not inform the now-elder Reynolds, opting instead to put the child up for adoption.
Stull informed his half-brother and father that he’d had a good childhood and always felt loved. The military family that adopted him lived in New Jersey, making it even more of a coincidence that he ended up back in Florida as an adult.
Do You Have Unknown Family Members?
Reynolds and Stull are only two of an increasingly large number of people who are finding unknown family members by taking a 23andMe DNA test. As Grit Daily recently reported, the IRS has now paved the way for curious US citizens to get a possible tax break when they purchase a testing kit. This will likely make Wojcicki’s company even more profitable, along with creating several more stories like the one shared by Stull and Reynolds.
Finding 22 Siblings
Learning about one sibling forever changed the lives of the two Floridian law enforcement officers. For one California woman, the joys and complications of such a revelation were more than 20 times bigger.
Jennifer Slayton revealed earlier this year that a 23andMe test helped her find 22 half-siblings. This isn’t a case of a philandering parent, though. Slayton’s conception required help from a sperm donor, which is one of many things she has in common with her newly found brothers and sisters.
https://twitter.com/KLTV7/status/1114562165065879559
Much like Reynolds and Stull, Slayton remarked that “all of these people have so much in common with me…we have a lot of the same interests and the same mannerisms…it was like meeting versions of myself.”
Despite stories like these, some are still leery of DNA testing. After all, authorities claimed to finally uncover the identity of the Golden State Killer due to a DNA test and a genealogy website. While most would agree this was a good thing, it has brought up many questions. For example, how much privacy can consumers reasonably expect after taking a 23andMe test? For now, the answer is uncertain.
