Man discovers 18 half-siblings after 23andMe DNA test

FRANKLIN, Neb. (KHGI) — From learning about countries of origin, to revealing potential health issues, to finding missing branches in your family tree, DNA kits are connecting people all over the world.

The life of a Franklin, Neb. man completely changed after taking a DNA test.

When Quinten Saathoff's younger brother decided to take a 23andMe DNA kit to learn more about his family’s medical history, they discovered that they were donor-conceived. Saathoff then decided to take a DNA test himself.

The results came back matching him with 18 half-siblings.

I just remember thinking wow!" Saathoff said.

Saathoff reached out to some of his half-siblings through Facebook, and after spending hours trying to figure out what to tell them, he sent them a message.

“I can completely understand if you don’t want to respond to this but if you do, it looks like we are half siblings, and I was just curious to know if you had any other information about it, or if you’re interested in building a relationship," said Saathoff in the message.

Some of his half-siblings keep in contact, while others prefer their privacy. A couple of them live in Nebraska, others live in Texas, North Carolina, Maryland and North Dakota.

Since he was a teenager, Saathoff realized his brother and he looked different than other family members. When he saw pictures of his biological father he was surprised by how much they looked alike.

I was blown away, we almost look like we are twins.

Out of respect to his biological father and his family, Saathoff has not contacted him.

He has also noticed the physical resemblances he shares with his half-siblings. Saathoff has even learned that he has most likely crossed paths with some of them.

Overall, he said he would encourage everyone to take a DNA kit, as this experience has been "life-changing".

In a statement, a 23andMe spokesperson said:

“With genetic testing readily available to consumers, we are increasingly hearing stories of families discovering and reuniting with newfound relatives, and of customers finding unexpected results in their reports. Although 23andMe was not designed specifically to help people confirm parentage or find biological parents, our DNA Relatives tool does help people find and connect with participating genetic relatives. This feature is completely optional, meaning customers must actively choose to participate and are informed up front that by using the tool, they may discover unexpected relationships.”

“You find out aside from what I found out this year, that there are plenty of other interesting and cool things that you can learn about yourself," Saathoff added.

When it comes to his parents, he holds no grudge with them for not talking about being donor-conceived.

I would just encourage any parent that is using this technology to conceive, be open with your kids, be honest with them as soon as you can, that way it won't be as much of a shock to them in the future.

Saathoff is excited to attend his first annual get-together soon, where he will have the opportunity to meet some of his half-siblings.