Regardless of age, Father's Day may be sad for some children who have no relationship with their biological dads. However, three adult women were lucky to have the chance to reunite with their dads after years of searching.
As more people are using commercial DNA tests to learn about their family and medical history, the process is also changing lives. Here are these women's stories:
Whitney and Chuck
Whitney Thompson from Arizona told ABC 15 that her mom never knew her father. In 1988, her mother met a man at the diner where she worked and could only recall that he was "cute and really nice."
Thompson's mom also wrote "Chuck from Michigan" in her journal entry for that night, but it would be the one and only time they would see each other. So, for 30 years, Thompson searched for her biological dad.
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When DNA testing became possible, Thompson cracked the door open to learning about her father. She signed up for Ancestry.com and found three cousins and a woman from New York who told her she might be able to narrow down the traces to Thompson's biological dad.
It took two weeks until the woman traced Charles "Chuck" Shirey, the man who shared not only Thompson's DNA but the same birthday. After talking on the phone, the dad and daughter made plans to meet in person, along with her two half-sisters, in five months.
For now, however, Thompson said she is excited to send her first Father's Day card to Shirey.
Stephanie and Jim
Stephanie Mott, now 39, has been searching for her biological dad for as long as she can remember. Originally based in Utah, she decided to uproot her life in early June and settle in Indiana, where her biological father, Jim Tucker, lives.
According to WTHI, Mott decided to move houses because she wanted to forge a close relationship with Tucker, and she felt that she belonged in Indiana. Their reunion story began on Facebook in December 2021, and since then, the father and daughter have kept in touch every day.
When Mott finally arrived with her stuff in her father's hometown, the first thing she said was, "Dad, I'm home." The pair are not wasting time catching up, and this Father's Day will be a monumental occasion.
Elise and Colm
Elise Jones, 22, bought a kit from Ancestry.com during a drunken state and did not expect she would find her biological dad. Initially, she treated this as a joke to share on her social media.
However, after she sent her saliva samples for testing, Jones found a male cousin through her paternal grandmother. They got along well and decided to trace their family history. Their grandmother had six sons, and Jones tried to contact two men on Facebook.
Jones' first message to Colm Verdon was ignored because he thought she was a scammer. He did not know that he had a daughter. However, Verdon looked through Jones' pictures, which are all over social media, and could see his own mom's strong features.
After reaching out to his daughter, Verdon was also able to reunite with Jones' mother, with whom he had romantic liaison years ago. Verdon then took a DNA test that further proved his biological connection to Jones.
According to New York Post, the dad and daughter met for the first time in person in May and were dumbfounded by the fact that they almost look like twins. Verdon said he used to feel some void but learning that he's a father has given his life substance.
