“You’re Him” – DNA Test Reunites Birth Mother and Son after 65 Years

Wayne Grow is an average 65-year-old man. He is married and has children and an enjoyable life. But, he also had a piece missing: his biological identity. According to a local news story, Wayne thought often about his biological family and ancestry, but private investigators were too expensive for him to utilize. Therefore, for 65 years he was unable to obtain any information.

A sale at Ancestry.com would change Wayne’s life. He decided to purchase a kit and use the program. His family was also curious about his ancestry. They weren’t disappointed! The test yielded a list of many close genetic matches. These matches would eventually lead to many of Wayne’s first and second cousins.

After connecting and communicating with his biological cousins, Wayne received the phone number for his biological mother. He was very hesitant to call her, unsure of how she would respond, but he did.

The phone call was emotional. Dorothy, his birth mother, was overwhelmed and wanted to meet as soon as possible, which they did that night. Speaking of that first phone call, Wayne told ABC news, “And there was a long pause on the other end and she says ‘you’re him.’ I said ‘I’m who’ and she goes like this – ‘you’re my son’, and at that point we both lost it.”

Dorothy related that she was still in high school when she gave birth to Wayne and placed him for adoption. She stated that at her young age, there was no way she could have supported him.

Dorothy later had two other children, two daughters. Dorothy eventually told them about Wayne, but never provided any other information about him. Her daughters researched and tried to locate Wayne, but always ran into dead ends.

Now Wayne not only has a relationship with Dorothy, but with his birth sisters and birth cousins as well. Dorothy stated, “We have a ton of catching up to do. I mean, to put it lightly.”

This story is only one of many reunion stories that has a happy ending.  The parties involved have found the missing pieces and feel fulfilled and completed. Not all reunion stories have a happy ending, but finding birth family can still be important to an adopted person and provide a sense of resolution.