Glenn Wells and his mother got a pleasant surprise this month as the DNA sample he submitted to Ancestry.ca in 2018 has finally yielded a match. A family reunion now is in the cards for Wells, his mother Violet, and their long-lost relatives, who they thought they would never see in their lifetimes.
Wells, who had been looking for his father, spent time in Canada's foster care system while growing up. He yearned to find his relatives but did not know how. Thanks to his decision to submit his DNA sample four years ago, Wells is now going to meet a new uncle and cousin, while his mother will be seeing her half-brother for the first time in over 60 years.
According to the Cransbrook Daily Townsman, Wells was emotional when recalling the moment he found out that there was a match with his DNA sample, saying, "I was crying because I was able to provide my mom with some happiness. She was totally beside herself, and it was all she could think about."
Courtney Mahler and Glenn Wells set the stage for a reunion
Wells received a message on March 20 from Courtney Mahler, who was on the other side of Canada. Mahler resides in Brantford, Ontario, and she is helping her father-in-law, Harry Mahler, search for clues regarding his biological parents.
Harry, now 74 years old, has been dealing with some health problems lately. Like Wells, he also decided to submit his DNA sample to Ancestry. Months after submission, Harry's result finally came out on March 18, with Wells' name coming up as a 12 percent match to his DNA sample.
According to Courtney, the adoptive parents of Harry never told him the truth about exactly where he came from and who his birth parents were. This contributed to Mahler suffering a lot of hardships while growing up.
Courtney said they never actually came out and told Harry that he was adopted. She added that Harry always had questions because it did not make sense. Mahler then found out later on in his life that he was adopted, finding the adoption papers and his birth certificate in the home of his adopted parents.
Violet's birthday celebration is going to be a special one
According to the documents that Mahler located, his birth mother's name is listed as May Simm. Courtney immediately reached out to Wells on Facebook after receiving the DNA results. Wells told her on the phone shortly afterward that his grandmother's name was May Simmons.
Wells asked his mother if she knew someone by the name of Harry from Brantford. Violet's memory has been unreliable lately, but according to her son, the mere mention of Harry's name caused a light to go off in her mother's head.
Violet said, "Oh my God! I think I have a half-brother in Brantford! I've not seen him since I was a teenager." Surrey Now-Leader reported that Violet would have a special birthday celebration this coming May 18 as her half-brother Harry will be there alongside his son Jon and daughter-in-law Courtney.
