By Jessica Algazi
Last year was a rough one for me: four surgeries in six months, a raft of doctors’ appointments, and getting poked and prodded by the very best of medical professionals.
<div id="attachment_27794" style="width: 275px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27794" class="wp-image-27794 size-medium" alt="" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-265x300.jpg" width="265" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-265x300.jpg 265w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-768x871.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-903x1024.jpg 903w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-776x880.jpg 776w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952-1041x1180.jpg 1041w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/MVIMG_20191018_110147-1-e1575486982952.jpg 1427w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 265px) 100vw, 265px" />Jessica, left, with 23andMe&#8217;s CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki. </div>
Yet I feel lucky, grateful even. 
I feel like I dodged a bullet. I&#8217;d been walking around for 53 years, unaware that I carry a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/brca/"> BRCA1</a> mutation putting me at a substantially increased genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer. 
I only found out by chance. On a lark, I decided to do consumer genetic testing with 23andMe. I thought I&#8217;d find some cousins, but what I found out may have saved my life.
<h6> Why I&#8217;m Writing This </h6>
I don’t say that lightly. I recently lost a very close friend to ovarian cancer. I know what an unchecked risk for cancer might have meant for me, and it sends a shiver down my spine. 
Yet my sense of relief turns to dread thinking of how many others are out there who don’t know, or may never know, about their own risk until it’s too late.  
That is why I’m writing this now. 
<h6>Slipping through the Cracks</h6>
I’ve read a lot of criticism about delivering this kind of information directly to consumers. But the critics often miss the point and the very real experience of people like me. 
Like me, there are many women who have<a href="https://blogs.plos.org/dnascience/2019/10/17/breast-cancer-genetic-testing-for-all-women/"> slipped through the cracks</a> of our current medical screening system, either because they don&#8217;t have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Or they do not know that they have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. In my case, even though I know I have Ashkenazi ancestry, that wasn’t enough to prompt my doctor to consider screening. So there are many women walking around with this risk, who, like me, would have never known of their own risk but for this<a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/i-did-a-random-dna-test-to-learn-about-my-ancestry-then-i-found-out-i-was-brca-positive-9723470"> test from 23andMe</a>.  
<h6>23andMe&#8217;s BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Report* </h6>
The test is not perfect. It&#8217;s not a breast cancer screen, and it only reports on three of the more than one thousand BRCA variants associated with higher risk. But it alerted me to a risk I wouldn’t have known of otherwise. I learned that the variant I carry puts me at a 45-85 percent risk for developing breast cancer, and conveys up to 46 percent risk for developing ovarian cancer.  
If it were you, or your daughter, your mom, your best friend, wouldn’t you want them to know this information so they could do something about it? 
I know that for me, learning this allowed me to work with my doctors to take action and lower my risk. That’s why seeing others minimizing or even denying the value of this test — even with its limitations — feels so misguided. 
I want as many people as possible to have access to this kind of information and have the same good fortune I had. 
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Jessica Algazi is an in-house entertainment attorney with a major motion picture studio, working and living in Los Angeles. Since learning she carried a BRCA1 mutation, she’s undergone several risk-reducing surgical procedures, including bilateral mastectomy, breast reconstruction, and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy (i.e., removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes).
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*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. Warnings &amp; Limitations: The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. This report does not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in this report does not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up. Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, [visit <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/</a>]. 
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Jessica Algazi

23andMe Alerted Me to My BRCA1 Variant

We wanted to share this perspective that appeared this week on the Michael J. Fox Foundation <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/powering-parkinsons-research-my-blueprint">blog</a> from, Claudia Revilla, a long-time 23andMe Parkinson&#8217;s Research participant. Claudia has been inspiring us for years and we want others to hear her voice.
First impressions. For those of us with Parkinson’s disease (PD), we all remember that dreadful day the doctor said:
<div id="attachment_27758" style="width: 292px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27758" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claudia-282x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27758 size-medium" width="282" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claudia-282x300.jpg 282w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claudia.jpg 474w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 282px) 100vw, 282px" />Claudia, far right, and her son Carlos, with 23andMe co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki. </div>
 &#8220;You have Parkinson&#8217;s.&#8221; 
In my case, almost ten years ago, those words only made sense because I knew that something was wrong — but what followed is what set the direction of my future actions. I carefully listened to every word the doctor was saying and when she asked if I knew of any blood relative with Parkinson&#8217;s, I responded with a “no.” 
Immediately thinking of my children, I asked: 
&#8220;Is Parkinson&#8217;s disease genetic?&#8221; 
<h6>What Can I Do?</h6>
My doctor responded that in most cases, the cause of PD is unknown. We can’t confirm the disease is only genetic. Scientists are working to uncover and understand genetic components and other factors that could lead to Parkinson’s like aging and the environment. 
I went home to my private “library” — the internet — and quickly got involved with <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/">The Michael J. Fox Foundation</a>. I was determined to help find a cure. 
As my grandma used to say, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” 
<h6>Participating in 23andMe Research</h6>
Since I can’t cure this disease all by myself, I joined efforts with those already in the search. Through <a href="https://foxtrialfinder.michaeljfox.org/">Fox Trial Finder</a>, I was matched with many opportunities to participate in PD research. One of them was genetic testing through the personal genetics company <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/">23andMe</a>. I immediately remembered the conversation with my doctor — and I signed up right away.
23andMe mailed me a spit kit. I followed the simple instructions — I spat in the tube and sent it back. When I got the results, just a couple of weeks later, I was, and still am in awe. I learned about me. I had information about my genetics that I did not know about. 
I took this opportunity to provide information about my own disease to be part of a larger 23andMe database with other PD patients to help find the many “whys” and “hows” of Parkinson&#8217;s. This is teamwork — through technology — not just to solve problems, but to prevent them from happening.
<h6>The Power of Knowledge</h6>
I never cared much about my own ancestry, but I do care about my health and the health of my future generations. Deciphering the code of what we are made of and how we work is like getting the blueprint of a building — using it to fix whatever breaks down or needs improvement.  
Our blueprint is the human genome, wonderful and unique to each of us. It could lead us to a way to detect, prevent and cure diseases. The power of knowledge about ourselves and our bodies is an inalienable right. It is our choice, whether we use it or not. Scientists researching incurable, progressive and devastating diseases are using genetics to find cures and answers to our ailments.  
<h6>Sharing My Story</h6>
During October, I had the opportunity to participate in a press conference for 23andMe. Myself, along with two other patients, shared our story about getting genetic testing that helped raise flags on important health issues. We all first consulted with our physicians, but the single most important action we took, was getting a 23andMe spit kit. It helped sketch our personal blueprints and empowered us to advocate for our own health.
<h6>My Hope</h6>
I wish there was a test to tell me that I have Parkinson’s. Or, even before I was diagnosed, a gene that would say definitively that I would get the disease. Because I could have taken action much earlier on. But I know these scientific breakthroughs will happen. I am taking action right now to help researchers find clues about Parkinson&#8217;s. 
Researchers have identified a handful of genes, like LRRK2 and GBA, that increase your risk of getting PD. And this has been made possible thanks to the volunteers willing to participate in genetic research. Many more findings will follow with the continued participation of volunteers in genetic research. 23andMe is making this possible and accessible to everyone.  
Back in the Middle Ages, no one dared to sail past the horizon because they believed Earth was flat. It took one brave person to try it — that was a true big step for mankind. Organizations like 23andMe and The Michael J. Fox Foundation are now sailing to the newest horizon. I, too, will follow, until we reach our destination.
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Interested in participating in genetic research? MJFF’s online clinical study Fox Insight is accelerating breakthroughs by capturing the experiences of people with and without Parkinson’s. Through a collaboration with consumer genetics company 23andMe, people with Parkinson’s who join Fox Insight can access the 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service at no cost and add their genetic information to the study. Register at <a href="https://foxinsight.michaeljfox.org/?utm_source=Blog&#038;utm_medium=Website&#038;utm_campaign=MJFF&#038;utm_content=Blog_23andMe_Podcast">foxinsight.org.</a>
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Claudia Garrido-Revilla, member of the Foundation’s Patient Council, has served as a Fox Trial Finder Ambassador and Team Fox member with The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Her advocacy and service activities are not limited to the Parkinson&#8217;s community. She has found that service and advocacy are necessary to keep a community together and healthy, and that volunteers and leaders are needed everywhere and always.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Powering Parkinson’s Research with My Blueprint 

By Amanda McCorquodale
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Raising children often feels like watching my own little science experiment on the effects of nature versus nurture. While all the ingredients in the pantry were the same, it is clear that my daughters were baked with slightly different recipes.
<div id="attachment_27728" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27728" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-150x150.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27728" width="300" height="448" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-685x1024.jpg 685w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-201x300.jpg 201w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-768x1147.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-589x880.jpg 589w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-790x1180.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMGP7629-scaled.jpg 1714w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Amanda&#8217;s twin girls.</div>
One has thick brown hair with brown eyes and the other thin blond hair and blue eyes. One gets intensely high fevers for just 24 hours while sick. The other will be mildly infirm for weeks before clearing a cold. One likes a scalding hot bath. Her sister can only tolerate lukewarm temperatures.

<h6>Getting Started with 23andMe</h6>
Our household presented almost the exact environment and lifestyle for both girls, yet their genes were taking them down different, often opposite, paths. While I conjectured who received which grandparent’s sweet tooth or hot temper, I became intrigued by a genetic test like 23andMe that could track some of these genetic traits. In reality, we are all so genetically similar— we are each about 99.5 percent identical — yet that very tiny difference is enough to make us each unique, even within my own family.
But trying out 23andMe was about more than just curiosity, I wanted to learn about my health too. Having just turned 40, I was curious to know more about what exactly was printed on my own recipe card, and how much of that I may have passed on to my daughters. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25528 size-medium" width="300" height="195" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-768x500.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-1024x667.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-880x573.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit-1180x768.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Whats-in-the-Kit.png 1822w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h6>Registration, Considerations, and Consent</h6>
The small box containing 23andMe’s collection kit came quickly in the mail. After taking it out of the plastic wrap and sliding off the cardboard sleeve, the first step was to register the kit online to link my account to the actual barcode on the test tube inside.&nbsp;
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Once I verified my email address, the web site ran through a list of choices I would be able to opt-in and out of, such as:&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-300x300.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25131 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/register_online.png 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />&nbsp;
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<li>Whether to have my saliva sample stored or discarded after it has been analyzed</li>
<li>Which of the health reports — on conditions like Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s disease — I will view and/or opt-in to view</li>
<li>When and with which of my 23andMe DNA Relatives I share my information&nbsp;</li>
<li>To give or decline consent for 23andMe Research (more on this below)</li>
<li>Although not part of the registration process, it’s clear that if I change my mind about using 23andMe, I have the option of deleting my 23andMe account and my data at any time&nbsp;</li>
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<h6> 
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<h6>Privacy and Consent</h6>
The registration site then presented me with a list of protections. 23andMe also provides additional information on its website about how my data would be kept private; these details are further covered in their Privacy Statement and Terms of Service.
There’s also a helpful link on all many of these steps for registering your kit. For example, I was assured 23andMe will never share my data with any public databases, insurance companies, employers, or law enforcement or regulatory authorities unless required by law. 23andMe also asserts that they have a Church and State-type separation in how information is handled. In other words, personally identifying information is stored separately from genetic data.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy-275x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-23677 size-medium" width="275" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy-275x300.jpg 275w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Privacy.jpg 636w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" />
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As the registration proceeded, 23andMe also prompted me to take a moment and consider all the possible implications of DNA testing. Essentially, you might find out something unexpected. &nbsp; For instance, I might learn that someone I thought was related to me isn’t actually a biological relative, or I might find out something else — a health risk for instance — that causes me anxiety. Anyone considering doing a DNA test will likely have thought about these possibilities at some point, but it was worth giving these implications more thought before sending my sample off.
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<h6>Participating in Research</h6>
Going back to the question about research consent, I was then asked if I want to participate in 23andMe’s research programs. While a DNA test is largely about uncovering more about oneself, it was interesting to think about how that information could also advance research.&nbsp; 23andMe explains what consenting to participate in research means. There is also a detailed explanation about the meaning of “individual data sharing.” There even is a heads up that if I decide to participate in research, I might be recontacted about specific research projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;
As I finished the process, 23andMe reviews which programs I have consented and gives me opportunities to contact a 23andMe representative to ask more questions. If later on, I change my mind about participating in research, I can remove my consent without changing my access to my results. In the end, the registration process, including considering the choices and consequences of those choices, took me about 15 minutes.&nbsp;
<h6>What the Sample Process was Like&nbsp;</h6>
<div id="attachment_27729" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27729" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27729 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_7626-e1574291806161-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Just a little spit.</div>
Giving your sample is pretty straight forward, but as it turns out there’s actually an art to spitting into a tube. 23andMe’s kit consists of a test tube topped with a larger mouth funnel for ease of spitting, but a half teaspoon of saliva doesn’t seem like a lot until you actually sit down and do the deed.&nbsp;
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23andMe offers up some helpful suggestions and warns that you shouldn’t have eaten or drunk anything within a half-hour of giving your sample.&nbsp; If a case of sudden dry mouth occurs (as it did for me), 23andMe has a list of suggestions to get the saliva flowing again. (I found it particularly helpful to imagine the taste and smell of tart foods like lemons.)
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In the end, it took me about 20 minutes to generate the required sample. Once collected, I snapped the top of the funnel closed, which released a stabilizing liquid into the tube. I then unscrewed the funnel top and replaced it with the provided blue cap before placing the tube in the provided specimen bag. After packaging the kit with the provided mailing label, I placed the box in the mail.
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A few days later I received an email confirming that my sample arrived at the lab. This began the toughest part of the process, waiting on my results.
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Stay tuned for Part II to learn what it was like to get a peek into my own DNA and get my <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">Ancestry + Health Service</a> reports.
Amanda McCorquodale is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, Miami Magazine and Mental Floss. She previously worked as an associate editor at the Huffington Post and as an Arts and Culture Editor at the Miami New Times. She lives in New York with her family.
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Amanda McCorquodale

Taking the Leap Into My DNA: Part I

Your Thanksgiving preferences have a lot to do with your own family traditions, but genetics may also play a role. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27745 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Turkey.001-e1575006841874.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />
This Thanksgiving, along with taking the time to give thanks for our friends, family and all that we have, 23andMe is celebrating what our DNA can tell us about ourselves
<h6>Thanksgiving Preferences</h6>
Customers can even peruse <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/thanksgiving2019_bundle/"> “A Very 23andMe Thanksgiving”</a> page to learn a little bit about what genetics says about their own specific traits during this holiday season. There, they can learn about their Bitter Taste preference or Alcohol Flush response. 
They can even find out about whether they are genetically predisposed to hate the sounds of others chewing. (Yeah, it’s a thing, and it’s called<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/traits/misophonia/"> misophonia</a>.) 
And to add a dash more of insight we’ve also done a quick look at genetic food preference data from our customers who have consented to participate in research. What we found is kind of interesting. So before you tuck into your Thanksgiving meal, take a minute to look at some of what we’ve learned.
<h6> Different Preferences between Men and Women </h6>
Looking at the data we found that men and women were likely to have some distinct food preferences based on their genetics. And about a quarter of our women customers were predicted to prefer sweet treats to salty ones. 
It was much different for men with just over two percent of our male customers likely to reach for sweets over salty treats.  
We also found a distinct difference in predicted food preferences based on the ages of our customers, or at least when we looked at customers in their 20s versus customers in their 60s. What we learned is that about 20 percent of customers in their 60s were likely to prefer sweets, versus just under 10 percent of people in their 20s.
<h6>So what does all this mean? </h6>
Traits, like a lot of conditions, are not just determined by our genes. It is actually a complex mix of culture, lifestyle, environment, and genetics that influence what we like to eat and what we turn our noses up to. 
So when 23andMe reports on your Bitter Taste preference, we are reporting on the likelihood that you can detect certain bitter compounds, and thus whether you are more or less likely to think Brussels sprouts or broccoli are bitter. The science behind that has to do with a gene, TAS2R38, which affects your taste receptors. But that doesn’t mean you will necessarily like them.
If you want to learn a little bit more about what your own genetics can tell you about your food preferences, login and check out<a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/thanksgiving2019_bundle/"> “A Very 23andMe Thanksgiving.”</a>
<h6>Not yet a customer? </h6>
Find out more about all that 23andMe has to offer<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/?vip=true"> here</a>, and don’t miss our great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal happening now through December 2, for up to 50% off a 23andMe kit. 
 
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A Very 23andMe Thanksgiving

If you don’t know much about history, or more specifically your family health history, you should take some time to learn it because it is so important for managing your health.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-22113 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Family-Tree1-1180x787.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Family health history is often the cornerstone of every medical record. It adds another dimension to your health profile, and it gives your doctor —and you —&nbsp; information to use to assist in your wellbeing.
<h6>What You Don&#8217;t Know 
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But many people often don’t know much beyond their own parents’ health, and some of us, particularly those who were adopted, might not even have that information. We might not know what our uncles or aunts or grandparents died from. 
We may have no idea of the health conditions that they lived with. But knowing this information offers important insights into our own health. 
That’s because just as genetic information from your 23andMe results can alert you to a previously unknown health risk, your family history, can also tell you a bit more about conditions you may have inherited from the generations that came before you. 
<h6>Looking Back to See Future Risks 
</h6>
Serious health conditions are sometimes run through families, sometimes skipping a generation or two. It helps to document some of the conditions that the relatives in our family tree faced to better understand our own health risks
While most people know that this information can be critical to their health, many people either do not know or have never tried to document this information. More than a decade ago, the U.S. Surgeon General kicked off an effort to change that by instituting<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/famhistory/index.htm"> National Family History Day</a>.
“Family history can identify people at high risk for many common diseases,” <a href="https://blogs-origin.cdc.gov/genomics/2018/11/19/happy-thanksgiving-2018/">said Muin J Khoury,</a>&nbsp; the Director, Office of Public Health Genomics, Centers for Disease, in a blog post last year. “In many cases, having at least one first-degree relative (parent, sibling or child) for some diseases doubles the person’s risk for the same disease. The risk is even higher if there are several affected relatives in the family, and affected relatives develop the disease at an early age.”
<h6>The Holiday</h6>
Because Thanksgiving is such a family-centric holiday, each year since 2004, the national holiday has doubled as a day not just to eat turkey and pie, but to talk to family and attempt to document health history.
To make it easier for families, the surgeon general even set up a simple and shareable tool for families to document their own health history called<a href="https://phgkb.cdc.gov/FHH/html/index.html"> My Family Health Portrait</a>. It allows you and your family members to create a family tree, write down health conditions and together create a powerful document to help you manage your health.&nbsp;
Knowing and acting on your family health history can prove life-saving in your own health.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Learn Your Family Health History

By Rachael Rifkin
November is National Adoption Awareness Month, which recognizes the importance of adoption not just for the more than <a href="https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics">7 million</a> Americans adoptees, but the nearly 100 million Americans who have an adoptee in their immediate family.
In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, we wanted to share Claire Mitchell and Stefanie Beard’s story.
<div id="attachment_27753" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27753" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2-300x173.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27753 size-medium" width="300" height="173" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2-300x173.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2-768x444.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2-1024x592.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2-880x509.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-Stefanie-2.jpg 1138w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Stefanie, on the left, and her new-found cousin Claire.</div>
Like many adoptees, the two twenty-somethings, turned to DNA testing to find out more about themselves. They wanted to know more about their ancestry, maybe <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">find some biological relatives</a>, and explore the health side of testing. 
Claire and Stefanie live only 12 miles apart in Pennsylvania, but the two didn’t know each other. 
That all changed after using 23andMe and discovering that they were first cousins once removed. As they got to know each other they learned something more. They don’t just share DNA. Twenty years ago both young women were adopted from the same town and orphanage in China. 
“Both of our minds are blown,” Stefanie told the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/china-adoption-adoptee-dna-temple-university-20190315.html">Philadelphia Inquire</a>r earlier this year.
<h6>The First Connection </h6>
Their surprising story began four years ago when Claire, 20, who now attends Bryn Mawr College, submitted her DNA to 23andMe. She hoped to find biological relatives.
Fast forward to Christmas last year when Stefanie, now a 22-year-old student at Temple University in Philadelphia, decided to use 23andMe with her sister Kristyn, who was also adopted from China. 
Stefanie was more interested in settling a longstanding debate between her and Kristyn — who had a higher percentage of Chinese ancestry in their DNA. (Stefanie turned out to be 77 percent Chinese and 13 percent Vietnamese to Kristyn’s 99 percent Chinese.) 
What she didn’t expect was to find a biological relative, let alone one living in the United States.
<h6>What Are The Odds?</h6>
<div id="attachment_27754" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27754" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-and-Stefanie-e1574820229581-300x280.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27754 size-medium" width="300" height="280" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-and-Stefanie-e1574820229581-300x280.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Claire-and-Stefanie-e1574820229581.jpg 581w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Claire, on the left, and her cousin Stefanie.</div>
Despite the surge in DNA testing and the number of adoptees finding and connecting with relatives, for adoptees from China or Korea or other countries, it’s very rare to find a close family connection.
Like a lot of adoptees, Stefanie and Claire both grew up wondering about their birth parents. They wondered if they had other biological relatives out there. Was it possible to ever find them?
 Stefanie was born in Huazhou in 1997 and Claire in 1999. When Stefanie was 11 months old, she was adopted by her parents, Donna and Michael Beard, and grew up in a loving home in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Adopted at the same age, Claire grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. They are both the second adopted daughters in their families.
Despite wondering about their origins and biological relatives, neither Claire or Stefanie, expected to find a relative, let alone one just a short train ride away. Finding a sibling or cousin actually isn’t <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/china-adoption-adoptee-dna-temple-university-20190315.html">unheard of</a> due to the proliferation of DNA testing. 
<h6>International Adoption</h6>
The first big wave of international adoptees came from Korea after the Korean war. China became a primary origin for adoptees after the creation of China’s one-child policy in 1980. The policy, instituted to slow population growth and avoid famine, resulted in the abandonment of thousands of children (often girls, since boys were preferred for a variety of cultural, social and economic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_preference_in_China">reasons</a>). 
To combat the problem, China began its international adoption program with many children ending up in the U.S. China officially ended its one-child policy in 2016.
In the last few years with the end of the one-child policy, many of those adoptees and birth parents have been looking to reunite. For families in China trying to find their children, there are even social media platforms like WeChat and the birth family search company <a href="https://mytaproot.org/">My Taproot</a>, to help families find and connect with each other. 
<h6>Using DNA to Help in the Search</h6>
While DNA testing offers a simpler way to connect with biological relatives, it is more difficult for adoptees from China to find matches because most of those on these sites come from the United States. 
That’s what makes finding each other so special said Claire and Stefanie. 
“It was unreal. To hear from her and see that she was such a close match as a relative was unbelievable. Even more shocking was the fact that she went to Temple (like 9 miles away from my school) and her family lived in the area. It was insane in that regard,” said Claire.
<h6>Getting to Know Each Other</h6>
Since they initially matched up on 23andMe, they’ve gotten together quite a few times. They’ve met up to watch the Dragon Parade for Chinese New Year, gone to dinner and the movies. Claire and Stefanie have spent the shorter holidays together at Stefanie’s family’s house since they live in Pennsylvania. 
In fact, Claire will be coming over to their house this Thanksgiving. They get along really well and enjoy spending time together. In general, they try to meet up at least once a month. Mostly they eat and talk, making up for lost time. 
<h6>Becoming Part of the Family</h6>
At that first meeting, Stefanie met Claire at her train station to go to dim sum in Chinatown. Stefanie and Claire both texted their moms a picture of the two of them together. Their moms had the same reaction— “Tell her we say welcome to the family!”
“It was such a happy moment. My heart was so full that night. The universe wanted this to happen. There’s no other explanation,” said Stefanie.
Claire agreed. 
“To have actually been able to meet a blood relative of mine who’s only separated by perhaps our great-grandparents have made me feel just a little less lonely in a world full of people who seem to know each other in the way that only biological kin can,” said Claire. 
&nbsp;
Rachael Rifkin’s <a href="https://www.rachaelrifkin.com/">work</a> focuses on bridging the gap between generations, cultures, and backgrounds through storytelling. She also once <a href="http://bit.ly/2ZsRzAU">recreated</a> eight photos of her relatives to highlight the traits and stories we all share with our families.

Rachael Rifkin

Adopted Separately in China, Cousins Wind Up Almost Next Door

Surging interest in consumer DNA testing has pushed far ahead of physicians&#8217; relevant training and knowledge of genetics, and this, in turn, limits their ability to engage with patients who have done genetic testing.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27700 size-medium" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doctor-going-over-results.jpg 1365w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
&nbsp;
But a new study found that when physicians undergo direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests themselves, the process boosts their interest, confidence, and comfort with this type of genetic testing, offering new opportunities to engage with their patients.

<h6>Learning More about 23andMe</h6>
The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617198/">national study</a>, done by researchers at <a href="https://precisionmedicine.duke.edu/">Duke University&#8217;s Center for Applied Genomics</a> and Precision Medicine and at <a href="https://medical.23andme.com/">23andMe</a>, included the evaluation of attitudes and knowledge of primary care physicians before and after they themselves underwent DNA testing with 23andMe&#8217;s Health + Ancestry Service. 
Most of the 130 doctors who participated in the survey said they wanted to learn more about consumer genetic testing, gain a better understanding of the clinical utility and application of genetic testing, and use that information to better counsel their patients. 
<h6>Perceptions and Understanding </h6>
The study allowed researchers to gauge how testing might change their familiarity with genetic concepts, personal genetic testing, and the role that genetics plays in the risk for common diseases.
 
&#8220;We found that doctors&#8217; understanding and perceptions of DTC genetic testing changed significantly after testing,&#8221; said 23andMe&#8217;s lead on medical outreach Esther Kim, PharmD, who was also a co-author of the paper.
<h6>The Impact of Testing </h6>
Before testing, only about a quarter of the primary care physicians surveyed said they were comfortable discussing genetics or genetic risks. After using the service this changed significantly. Almost 60 percent felt more confident with such discussions after undergoing testing. A majority of physicians also said they thought testing could be used to motivate healthy behavior and prompt their patients to make healthy behavior changes.
 
In the survey of primary care physicians, the study found that along with motivating a healthy lifestyle, about 70 percent of physicians also thought testing would help with early detection of adult-onset inherited diseases, and incentivize patients to actively participate in their healthcare. Those numbers were the same both before and after testing.
<h6> Medical Education </h6>
The study appears to validate work that 23andMe&#8217;s <a href="https://medical.23andme.com/medical-education-at-23andme/">Medical Education</a> team has been doing for several years now, offering training and other <a href="https://medical.23andme.com/resources/">resources</a> to physicians incorporating direct-to-consumer testing into patient care. 
&nbsp;
“Much of our medical education efforts are geared towards creating resources and activities so healthcare professionals can effectively answer their patients’ questions about consumer genetics,” said 23andMe&#8217;s Anne Greb, MS, CGC, one of 23andMe&#8217;s genetic counselors and lead on 23andMe&#8217;s <a href="https://medical.23andme.com/medical-team/">Medical Education team</a>. “To build on the results of this Duke study, we are developing an online medical genetics course, to help physicians integrate this kind of information into patient care.” 
&nbsp;
About 30 percent of those who&#8217;ve tested share their information with their healthcare providers, according to some estimates, making this training a vital tool for primary care physicians.
 
&#8220;For many physicians opportunities to engage with and learn about genomic medicine is limited,&#8221; said Dr. Kim. &#8220;So finding effective strategies like this to experience consumer genetics firsthand can help them to stay current on the evolving genetic testing landscape and prepare for conversations with their patients.&#8221;
 
Find an abstract of the study in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/9/2/29">Genomic Medicine and Policy</a>.
 
 
  
 
&nbsp;

A photo of a doctor showing a patient information on a digital tablet.

A Study on Physicians’ Knowledge of Consumer Genetic Testing

By Kathy Hibbs, 23andMe’s Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/23andMe_Logo-1-e1521068586138-300x198.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25534" width="300" height="198" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/23andMe_Logo-1-e1521068586138-300x198.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/23andMe_Logo-1-e1521068586138-768x507.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/23andMe_Logo-1-e1521068586138.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
A Florida judge recently issued a warrant granting law enforcement access to search the database of GEDmatch, a small publicly accessible DNA and genealogy research site. Allowing law enforcement access to GEDmatch’s nearly one million users should trouble anyone who values people’s right to privacy.
It certainly troubles us here at 23andMe. 
Perhaps just as disturbing is GEDmatch’s apparent lack of scrutiny and challenge of the validity of the warrant issued. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/business/dna-database-search-warrant.html">According to reporting by the New York Times</a>, the company opened up its database to law enforcement within 24 hours of the judge&#8217;s decision. Given this timing, it does not appear that GEDmatch exhausted all legal avenues to challenge the warrant. In contrast, if we had received a warrant, we would use every legal remedy possible. And to be clear, because our database is and always has been private, we don’t believe that this decision impacts 23andMe. 
In our 13 year history, 23andMe has never turned over any customer data to law enforcement or any other government agency. Protecting the security and privacy of our customers’ information is at the core of what we do as a business. Unfortunately, not all businesses adhere to these same principles. That is in part why we warn our customers about uploading their genetic data to third-party, public websites like GEDmatch.
It is also why 23andMe was the first consumer genetics company to openly publish a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/transparency-report/">Transparency Report</a>, which details the number of government requests we’ve received for customer data. To date, we’ve received seven requests for data from 10 of our 10 million customers and we’ve successfully challenged each one. In addition, we aligned with the non-profit organization<a href="https://fpf.org/about/"> Future of Privacy Forum</a> and other leading personal genetic testing companies to create <a href="https://fpf.org/2018/07/31/privacy-best-practices-for-consumer-genetic-testing-services/">best practice industry guidelines</a> to support the industry as a whole in protecting consumer privacy.
All of us have a certain expectation of privacy. In the United States, the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment">Fourth Amendment</a> is meant to protect people&#8217;s right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 
23andMe believes that people’s right to privacy is worth fighting for. Learn more about our privacy policies <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">here</a>.
&nbsp;

Our stance on protecting customers’ data 

By Lisa Altmann
23andMe changed my life in ways I never imagined.   It gave me the tools to find “my truth” and my unexpected yet amazing origin story.  
<div id="attachment_27663" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27663" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27663 size-medium" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190724_113949-1180x885.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Lisa on a trip to Italy.</div>
I’ve always been overly curious. As a child, I would drive my parents nuts asking about anything and everything, including questions about our ancestors. I wanted to know where we came from but my parents had very little information to share with me.
I knew that their families had escaped Jewish persecution in Poland and Russia. They’d survived hardships, and immigrated to America through Ellis Island. I took a lot of pride in those Jewish roots. I was very close with my small but close-knit family but I wanted to know more about our ancestors.   
Then last year, at the age of 48, I took a 23andMe DNA test to discover more about my Polish and Russian roots. At first, my results confused me. Then, as the reality of what those results meant settled in, the truth turned my world upside down.
<h6>Unexpected Results</h6>
It turns out I do not have Russian, or Polish, or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. I’m Italian and Croatian.
Harder for me to handle is that I’m not biologically related to my parents or my two brothers, all of whom I love very much. That was a hard truth, but it was my truth. It is something that I am learning to accept with an open heart and gratitude.
I’m writing this because I hope it might help and comfort others in similar situations.  I wouldn&#8217;t change anything about using 23andMe, but anyone considering DNA testing should consider the possibility that they too might discover something unexpected and life-changing.  
Our DNA offers a way to discover more about what makes us unique, and those revelations can be exhilarating. But sometimes an unexpected result can have profound implications for both you and your family. 23andMe does a good job of letting you know about these possibilities both before you use the test and before you consent to participate in DNA Relatives, 23andMe’s featured to connect you with other customers with whom you share DNA. It’s essential to think of how a surprising result might impact your life as it did mine.

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				Lisa and her mom.
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				Lisa and her dad.
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<h6>Asking the Hard Questions</h6>
Talking to my parents about my results was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had in my entire life. I will never forget the conversation. It still rings in my ears as I could feel the fear in my dad’s voice as he was anticipating the big question. After nervously explaining my DNA results and research, I finally threw out the big question, “Was I adopted?” 
A storm of emotions engulfed my mom and dad when I asked that question. It hit them like a force of nature. I felt guilty for even asking. My parents are older now and more fragile, but I needed to know the truth, my truth. They both struggled to answer. As my mom cried in the background, my father said to me, “What does it matter? We love you, and you are our daughter.”
<h6>Nature and Nurture </h6>
He had a point. 
My parents had chosen me, raised me, and poured their love into me. They still love me deeply. They never made me feel anything but loved. I was their “first child” and the only girl in my family. I remember always feeling adored by my entire family. They’d encouraged my big personality to entertain them all with dance routines, singing, and comedy acts. I felt loved and cherished by my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. This never changed even when my two younger brothers came into the picture. I would always be their daughter. 
<div id="attachment_27662" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27662" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-225x300.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-27662 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-660x880.jpeg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-885x1180.jpeg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_2607-3-e1572296660409-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Lisa and her husband Jack.</div>
But the truth was that I had a biological mother who I later learned was still alive. I had a lineage that traced back to a small town in Southern Italy. I shared traits, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">physical features</a>, and DNA with biological relatives I had yet to meet. All of that mattered too.
<h6>An Adoptees Search  </h6>
Learning that you are adopted, especially learning that truth in mid-life, can be disorienting. I’m not sure how I would have handled it if I learned this when I was younger. Learning this now meant I was emotionally mature enough to navigate through all the emotions that came with this discovery. 
I leaned on my core of special people like my amazing husband Jack, my wonderful brother Paul and his family, and my dear friend Claire, who helped me work through what it all meant. Many times when I share my story people ask if I am angry with my parents for not telling me I was adopted.  Anger is never an emotion that crossed my mind. I was shocked by my adoption. I was surprised. But more than anything, the emotions that welled up in me were of gratitude toward my loving parents. I feel thankful for the amazing life they have given me. I know without a doubt everything they’ve done has been with tremendous love, sacrifice and the best intentions for all of their children.
<h6>Finding My Roots</h6>
I am my parent’s daughter, but I learned that another woman had given birth to me.
I wanted to know more about my birth mother, and what part of her was in me. I’ve heard others talk about nature versus nurture. It isn’t one or the other. Yes, the parents that raised me made me who I am. But my genetics also play a role. Understanding that part of me is helping me understand more about who I am. 
<div id="attachment_27667" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27667" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27667 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_20190730_092016-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Looking at records of in the village of Castelpagano, where Lisa&#8217;s Great Grandfather Michael was born.</div>
After I learned I was adopted I wanted to know who my birth mom was. I wanted to know whether we look alike or have similar personalities. I eventually found her with the help of an amazing genealogist named Linda Doyle who specialized in working with adoptees and DNA results. I went through the emotional process of writing a “Dear Mom” letter. In it, I told her about my life. I said I didn’t hold any anger or resentment toward her.  
<h6>A Better Life </h6>
My birth Mom called me in tears after receiving the letter. We talked for five hours. I learned about her, and her family. I found out we share some personality traits. And I learned of my biological family’s connection to Italy. I felt like we’d known each other my entire life. It gave me a better understanding of myself. It gave me tremendous peace. And yet, I also know that her decision saved me from the chaos of the life that would have been mine if I’d hadn’t been adopted. She gave me a better life by giving me up.
My birth mom was young and single and didn’t have the means to raise a child on her own. Her father died when she was 9. Her mom had been ill her entire life. She was 23.
My parents, who were having trouble conceiving, were told about a young woman in New York City desperately wanting a good family and a better life for her baby.  My mom and dad took me home to Washington D.C. where I was raised. My parents were eventually able to get pregnant and had two more children, my brothers. 
<div id="attachment_27659" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27659" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-225x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27659 size-medium" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IMG_0890-2-e1572297208331-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />A photo of the village of Castelpagano in southern Italy. &#8220;My heart is full whenever I look at them,&#8221; Lisa said of the photos from the village.</div>
<h6>Loving My Family and Those Who Came Before </h6>
No one ever knew I was adopted. Now they do, but it doesn’t change that this is my family.
Revealing this secret was hard and at times painful. Despite that, it’s given me incredible insight. My husband and I, along with my brother and his family have traveled to Italy. I was able to visit the town near Naples where my ancestors came from. I got to see my biological great grandfather’s childhood home. I went to his church where I was shown family baptismal records going back centuries. It brought me to tears. 
It felt like coming home. I’ve learned so much about myself on this journey, but also about the people who loved me and came before me. 
 23andMe gave me so much knowledge, understanding, and truth, right when I needed it most. Although the process has not been easy, it has brought joy, peace, gratitude and a lot of love into my life. 
I hope to help and support others in their adoption discovery process as I learned so much from mine. There is beauty in our ancestral truths even when those truths change how we see the world and ourselves.
 
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