Gretchen’s DNA Surprise

Like many of our stories, Gretchen’s DNA surprise includes many people, and it can be difficult to understand the roles of everyone involved, so before we begin I want to give some background.

Before her DNA surprise, Gretchen believed she was the youngest of 3 children. It turns out that Gretchen’s biological father had two children before her – he had a daughter, Barbara, in his first marriage. Then he had her brother, Jimmy, in his second marriage. He abandoned both families and had an affair with Gretchen’s mother, which is how Gretchen came to be. After his relationship with Gretchen’s mom ended, Gretchen’s mother returned to her birth certificate father while pregnant with her.

Gretchen’s father remarried and had two more children. He is still with his third wife today. While all of the children involved know about each other, his third wife does not. Gretchen and her two older siblings remain secrets. Gretchen’s story is painful and complicated. She speaks about how she always felt different and how she feels knowing the truth.