If you haven’t yet read my email about learning “The Awful Truth” please do so first…
Once I learned about how I “got here”, I went through a major depressive episode for a week. I felt gross, I felt as if I shouldn’t have ever existed and I thought that I was the product of some disgusting science experiment.
The topic was never brought up again, but over the years my dad would make comments here and there, like, “You have the Leavitt (my last name) thighs” or some characteristic that was “from the Leavitt side” and I knew it was bullshit.
It would make me cringe hearing those comments. It made me sad, because it was if him saying it, would make it true.
In February this year, I was visiting mom and dad, and my mom randomly asks about my nationality. She says that grandma told her we were seven nationalities.
I laughed and just said we were a mix of ugly white people and nothing special, but she said,
“Didn’t you do a DNA test?”
Well indeed I did!
Back in 2013, I did the 23andme DNA test because I was looking for some health information on a blood disorder (and curious about other health risks)
I decided to log in so I could tell mom just what nationalities we were, when I saw a *new* link:
DNA RELATIVES SHARE & COMPARE
and as soon as I clicked it, I saw this message…
Clicking “Continue” changed everything….
The next thing I saw were two names and next to their names:
HALF-SISTER
Gulp.
I start turning red. My mom is looking over my shoulder. Our eyes are wide and she quickly whispers,
“Your brother still doesn’t know”
.
.
.
HO-LY SHIT.
After some quick stalking, one sister was born in the same area as me… it’s not a fluke. Who are they? Are they his kids? Are they sperm-donor babies too?
There were also two cousins, who were related to me through the sisters.
I decided to message all of them… and wait.
I flew to New York City to celebrate my best friends book launch AND my birthday, March 2. The evening of my birthday, I receive a Facebook message from one of the cousins… “Hi Danny. I saw you on 23andme and I figured I would message you here. Happy Birthday! I think I know who you’re looking for!”
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG is this really happening?!
We chatted for a few minutes and indeed, her mom’s uncle had been donating sperm back in the 80’s and she said he would be thrilled to chat with me… WHAT?!
TALK TO HIM?!?
This is so weird. What do you even say?!
“Uhm… Hi.. this is what happened when you jerked off that one time… SURPRISE!”
I fell on the ground and started crying hysterically.
This was a real guy.
He’s not homeless or an addict. He wants to talk to me! What the actual hell?!
IS THIS REAL LIFE?!
After an hour or so I decided to call him. Bruce.
I found out he was 75 years old and he had been donating for over 15 years! He told me that he started to ask the nurses if they “got any” (pregnant) and he stopped counting after 80!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
The two half-sisters were donor babies too! Heck, maybe half of the bay-area were his kids.. LOLLLOOOLLL!
We spoke for nearly an hour and I learned so much. He was kind, funny, and genuinely interested in hearing my story.
Next thing I know, he sends me a message from my website, “Hey Bio-Girl… it was nice to chat with you”
Hey Bio-Girl?!
I’m definitely calling him Sperm Dad. (LOL!!)
Slowly a sister replied. Then another. Then a brother from ancestry.com found me… then we found a few more..
My new found (and growing) siblings created our own Facebook group and decided that we needed to meet.
Early August, I took a train to New York City to meet 3 of the (so far) 10 known half-siblings… and I took a video of the day leading up to it… ENJOY (then check out the next part of this series)