- Fabulous
- Real Life
LONG LOST FAMILY
Angela's biological dad had moved 1,100 miles across the country by the time he found out about her
- Josie O'Brien, Senior Fabulous Digital Writer
WHEN Angela Rinehart's uncle told her that she was the spitting image of a man he went to school with, alarm bells went off in her head.
The 33-year-old had been brought up from birth by a man who she was told was her dad, but now had a niggling feeling that things weren't as they seemed.
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The man who raised Angela was a loving father, and he'd assumed from the day she was born that she was his biological daughter.
In 2021, both of them discovered this wasn't the case.
Angela had an entirely different biological dad - and that man had no idea she even existed.
Things came to light after she attended the funeral of her grandmother and reconnected with relatives she hadn’t seen in years.
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Following the ceremony, she received a message from one of her uncles, detailing how she looked just like a man he'd gone to school with.
Angela ordered a DNA kit and immediately began digging online, pursuing the idea that she might have a different biological dad to the one who raised her.
That's when she found Shawn Daniels - a man who looked too similar to her for her to ignore.
Angela even showed pictures of the mystery man to her husband, who said: "I'd bet money you're related."
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She didn't message the mystery man at first, and instead waited six weeks until her DNA test results came back.
The findings confirmed that the man who raised her wasn't her biological dad - but Shawn was.
Angela recalled: “It hit me like a ton of bricks.
"None of the family I’d grown up with on my dad’s side showed up in my DNA.
"It was like finding out you’re someone else."
Angelareached out to him on Facebook, carefully crafting a message that would introduce her as the daughter he never knew he had.
DNA Tests: What You Need to Know
HERE'S everything you need to know about DNA tests...
Types of DNA Tests:
Ancestry Testing: Discover your genetic heritage and ancestral origins.
Paternity Testing: Confirm biological relationships.
Health Screening: Identify genetic predispositions to certain health conditions.
Steps to Get a DNA Test:
Determine the Purpose: Establish why you need the test.
Choose a Provider: Select a reputable laboratory or service.
Order the Kit: Purchase the appropriate DNA test kit.
Collect the Sample: Follow instructions to gather a cheek swab or saliva sample.
Send the Sample: Mail the sample to the laboratory using the provided packaging.
Await Results: Wait for a few weeks for the analysis.
Review the Results: Interpret the results and seek professional advice if necessary.
Considerations:
- Privacy: Ensure the provider has robust privacy policies.
- Accuracy: Verify the accuracy rate of the test.
- Cost: Be aware of the total cost, including any hidden fees.
- Support: Look for providers that offer customer support for interpreting results.
She added: "I rewrote the message like eight times.
What do you even say? ‘Hi, I’m your daughter’?
"But when I sent it, he replied and said, ‘that actually makes sense, I was with your mom around that time, but I never knew she was pregnant.'
"He had no idea my mom was pregnant and the dad who raised me didn’t know either - he thought I was his child from day one."
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Shawn had moved across the country but drove 1,100 milesto meetAngela for the first time two weeks later.
She explained that immediately after meeting, the pair became inseparable and have since done all they can to make up for lost time.
She said: "I found pictures of him from when he was younger, and he looked just like me. We're like twins."
Angela still has a relationship with the dad who raised her.
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She said: "I got two dads out of the deal — one who raised me with love, and one who’s getting to know me now with just as much joy.
"How lucky am I?"
