My story begins with loss. My mother, Louisa, raised me alone for the first several months of my life. Tragically, she passed away when I was still a baby, leaving me with only a name — Sara Elena. My grandmother Elena had also died young, in a car accident while my mother was pregnant with me.
After my mother’s passing, I was adopted by a Swiss family who lived in a small village halfway between Zurich and Basel. They named me Marina but kept my name, Sara Elena, which I continue to use to this day. I grew up in a caring household with two younger brothers born to my adoptive parents, yet questions about my origins were always part of my life.
Marina Sara Elena Bopp
Reconnecting with my maternal family
At around 20 years old, I discovered the identities of my maternal aunt and uncle using information from my adoption file. My father’s identity was listed as unknown, but my aunt and uncle were happy to hear from me. They shared stories about my mother and gave me photographs, one of which showed me as a baby being held by an unidentified young man. They had no information about him, leaving the mystery unresolved.
The photo Marina’s aunt and uncle shared with her
A life-changing DNA discovery
Last winter, I decided to take a DNA test through MyHeritage, mostly to learn more about my ethnicity. I wasn’t expecting anything dramatic. By this point, I had accepted that I might never know who my biological father was.
On the morning of January 21, I saw an email from MyHeritage notifying me that my results were ready. When I opened the app, I was shocked to see that my top DNA match was my father, with 50% shared DNA. Directly below him was a match to a half-brother, Vincenzo.
The DNA Match to a father and half-brother
Curious, I searched online for information about Vincenzo, who was 33 at the time and worked as a professional football coach. The moment I saw his photo, I thought to myself, “This is me in a male version.”
Since it wasn’t possible to find any information about my father, I decided I had to try contacting my brother instead. MyHeritage didn’t give me his direct contact details, so I had to wait for a reply through the platform — but it never came.
Writing an email with such unusual content was not easy. In the end, I simply asked him to log in to his MyHeritage account and mentioned that it might be possible I was his older sister. He called me the very same day, said he wanted to meet me, and even invited my other two brothers, Nicola and Michele.
We met at his place, together with his wife and my one-year-old nephew.
Left to right: Michele, Marina, Vincenzo, and Nicola
The 3 of them decided to share the news with our father, Antonio, who was then 61.
When Antonio learned about me, he was delighted and wanted to meet me as soon as possible. Soon after, my husband and I visited Antonio and his wife, Concetta, at their home for a Sunday dinner. Both of them were warm and welcoming. Antonio expressed happiness at discovering a daughter he hadn’t known about, and Concetta was equally kind and accepting.
Marina and her birth father Antonio
Dinner at Antonio’s family’s house
Celebrating as a family
This summer, I attended Nicola’s wedding and was introduced to the extended family as Antonio’s daughter. It was a meaningful moment to be included and recognized as part of the family.
Taking a simple DNA test has transformed my understanding of who I am and allowed me to build connections with people I never expected to meet. I now have my father, three brothers, and an extended family that has embraced me wholeheartedly.
Many thanks to Marina for sharing her incredible story with us. If you’ve also made an amazing discovery with MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it! Please send it to us via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.
The post Orphaned as a Baby, I Found My Birth Dad, 3 Siblings, and a Large Extended Family Thanks to MyHeritage DNA appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.
Source: My Heritage
Be First to Comment