For <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-families">International Day of Families</a>, 23andMe wanted to share with you what amounts to an international family story.
Life has been good for Paul Knoll.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28257 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1-224x300.jpeg" alt="" width="224" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1-224x300.jpeg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1.jpeg 452w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px" />
He and his wife raised two sons and a daughter. For years, he operated a successful professional staffing agency in New York City. Then not too long ago he moved back to his hometown in Nebraska, to retire. And he took more time to visit his kids and spend a little more time with his five grandchildren.
Life is good.

<h6>A French Canadian Connection</h6>
Adopted at nine months, Paul grew up in Nebraska with five siblings, four others were also adopted. But since he can remember, Paul, 67, had a nagging question he was never able to answer. Who were my birth parents, and why did my mom leave me in a Catholic home in Quebec, Canada, for unwanted children?
&#8220;Over the years, I tried to find out more,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But I never was able to find much information about them.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28256 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-203x300.jpeg" alt="" width="203" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-203x300.jpeg 203w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-694x1024.jpeg 694w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-768x1134.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-596x880.jpeg 596w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-799x1180.jpeg 799w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465.jpeg 1064w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px" />
Paul traveled to Quebec a few times to see if he could find records of his adoption, but the records were sealed, and the nuns gave up little information on his origins. All he learned was that his birth mother was a teenager when she became pregnant. Eventually, he gave up trying to find out more.
That all changed after his daughter, Katie, gave him a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/gifts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA testing kit</a> as a gift two years ago. She too wanted to know more about her father&#8217;s origins, his ties to Quebec, and his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Acadians">Acadian</a> roots. But neither expected what came next.
<h6>Someone in Omaha Love You</h6>
Soon after they both tested, opted into 23andMe&#8217;s DNA Relative tool, Katie told her dad that Paul&#8217;s half-sister had contacted her. And his half-sister said to them that Paul&#8217;s birth father, Pierre, is still alive and thriving at 92.
&#8220;I was floored,&#8221; Paul said.
For years all his focus was on his birth mom. He never expected to find his father. He&#8217;d been wondering about his mother. But instead, he&#8217;d suddenly connected with a sister and learned the identity of his father. And the surprises didn&#8217;t end there. Paul had six other half-siblings, five sisters and a brother. With email and phone calls, he soon had connected with all of them.
&#8220;All of a sudden, I got a whole family here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were just ecstatic over this news.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28258 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-880x660.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings.jpeg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
In June of last year, Paul traveled to Montreal to meet his brother and sisters. They spent a few days together learning about their lives and adding to their family story. He brought his siblings t-shirts that read, &#8220;Someone in Omaha Loves You.&#8221;
Paul was struck by how much in common they had with each other, from their looks to their mannerisms. Paul, it turned out, was the oldest. He was born before Pierre married his half-siblings&#8217; mother, who is also still alive. And a little after their gathering in Montreal, Paul, and his siblings learned that there was one other half-sister out there. There was another child born to unmarried parents and put up for adoption. Paul is the oldest, then the other half-sister who&#8217;d also been adopted, and then their six other siblings.
Paul has yet to meet his father.
&#8220;Pierre is in excellent health,&#8221; Paul said. &#8220;He knows about me but hasn&#8217;t hasn&#8217;t had the opportunity to meet yet as he lives in New Brunswick (Canada.)”
He&#8217;d like to meet him. He&#8217;d like to find out more about his birth mother and what happened to her.
But for now, he feels blessed by meeting his sisters and brother. A true friendship has grown between them. Their accomplishments humble him; one is the dean of a university, the husband of one of his sisters is a Parkinson&#8217;s disease researcher, another is a wilderness guide.
His family now sprawl across Canada and the United States. They&#8217;ve all agreed to meet again when it becomes possible. Maybe he will get to meet his birth father. Perhaps he&#8217;ll find out more about his birth mother. But, for now, Paul has what he needs.
&#8220;Meeting them all is good enough for me,&#8221; Paul said.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Connecting with Family Across Borders

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28186 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida--225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida--225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida--768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida--660x880.jpeg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida--885x1180.jpeg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Maida-.jpeg 1512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Maida approached 23andMe as a skeptic, but seeing her reports completely changed her mind.
Maida, who has celiac and type 2 diabetes, used 23andMe because she was curious about her genetic predispositions.
<h2>Changing her Mind</h2>
Maida was shocked that the 23andMe reports did indeed indicate that she had a higher genetic likelihood of developing both conditions. Maida was first diagnosed with celiac disease in the 1970s. The autoimmune condition can damage the small intestine, triggered by the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye).
A lot has changed in medicine since Maida was diagnosed with celiac disease. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes came much later.
“Both of those things showed up on my report, boom boom,” Maida said. “Ok, I believe this test has got something right.”
Maida also noticed that her report indicated she is at increased risk for developing harmful blood clots due to the factor V Leiden variant.
“I told my doctor about it. She wrote it down in my chart, saying that she will watch out for deep vein clotting,” said Maida.
<h2>A Little Neanderthal</h2>
As for her 23andMe ancestry reports, those confirmed what she already knew about her family. Maida comes from a long line of Englishmen, supported by some Northern European, French, German and Scandinavian stock.
The one surprise for Maida was discovering she has a significant number of Neanderthal traits. According to her report, the highest number of Neanderthal traits found was 367, but Maida has a whopping 328.
“I thought, what am I, A caveman?” Maida mused.
What began as a slightly skeptical experiment has completely turned Maida’s opinions around.
“I’ve recommended 23andMe to other people,” Maida said. “I’ve told my doctors about it too.”

A 23andMe Skeptic Changes Her Mind

<div id="attachment_28185" style="width: 177px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28185" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28185 size-medium" width="167" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522.jpg 773w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522-167x300.jpg 167w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522-569x1024.jpg 569w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522-768x1383.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522-489x880.jpg 489w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mary-kay-2-e1585606326522-655x1180.jpg 655w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 167px) 100vw, 167px" />Mary taking her &#8220;after&#8221; photo.</div>
Like a lot of people, Mary struggled to lose weight. Over the years, she tried but failed to take off the pounds, and it made her wonder whether genetics was playing a role. After all, she had a family history of obesity. 
That’s, in part, what propelled her to purchase a 23andMe DNA test. She wanted to explore how her genetics may be impacting her health. 
What she learned surprised her, and it inspired her to take action, not just for her health but to connect with her newfound family.
“I found out it wasn’t genetics,” Mary said, laughing.
At least, her 23andMe Genetic Weight report indicated that she wasn’t genetically predisposed to weigh above average. Ironically it was seeing that information that prodded her to act. 
“I knew it was up to me,” she said.
Mary began prioritizing her health. She started a new, low-carbohydrate diet. Ultimately the new diet and focus helped Mary finally lose 80 pounds. 
“Three of my sisters and I all went on the same low-carb diet,” she said. 
They all lost weight. 
Then her story took another exciting turn. 
Mary had opted-into DNA Relatives, a feature that matches you with other customers with whom you share DNA. Long after she first tested, Mary noticed in her DNA Relative matches a predicted niece and a predicted nephew, who she didn’t know. Mary remembered that both of her sisters had given up children decades ago. As soon as she saw the profile photo of her niece, Ann, she knew Ann was her younger sister’s child. 
“Ann looked exactly like my sister,” Mary said.
Mary also matched with a nephew, James, a few weeks later. James was another sister’s child, adopted years earlier. Mary connected with both Ann and James, happy to share family information with them.
Ann revealed that she too had joined 23andMe not necessarily for ancestry but for the health reports. Adopted at a young age and now in her 40s, Ann didn’t have a family health history to rely on. Mary shared important information about the family’s health, including the fact that several family members had died at a young age from heart disease. Ann was relieved to have a fuller picture of her family’s health history.
Ann also mentioned that she would like the opportunity to get to know her birth mother, Mary’s sister. 
“I’m not looking to disrupt her life, but I want her to know I appreciate what she did for me because I had an awesome family,” Ann told Mary.
Mary put Ann in touch with her sister. Last year on Mother’s Day, mother and daughter spoke on the phone together for the first time. They were thrilled to connect.
Mary said she has her grandmother to thank for that because it was her grandmother who helped trigger her interest in genetics. Born in the 1890s, her grandmother was ahead of her time, interested in education, learning, and her family’s history, especially their family health history. 
“Her handwritten family tree included notes about illnesses, and included a note that said ‘lots of obesity in this branch,’” Mary said. “That’s what prompted me to do the DNA test.”
Her grandmother thought that at some time in the future science would advance to the point that this information would be helpful to future generations. It has been for Mary and the new family she’s connected with. 
Spurred by her personal fascination with genetics, Mary sees her 23andMe report — and the new updates that have continued to come out of it — as valuable information that has helped her and her family to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Health Inspiration

By Rachael Rifkin
Identical twins Audrey Bell and Cynthia McFadden, and their younger sister Stephanie, knew that using 23andMe to explore their DNA would give them insight into their ancestry and shared genetics, but they never expected it would also unearth clues to a 75-year-old unsolved mystery.
<div id="attachment_28054" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28054" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-300x215.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-28054" width="300" height="215" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-300x215.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316-768x550.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1316.jpg 844w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Twins Audrey and Cynthia, with their sister Stephanie in the middle.</div>
Audrey was the first to dive into her DNA with 23andMe. She wanted to see the DNA differences between her triplets, two are identical and the third is fraternal. But her 23andMe Ancestry Composition report surprised her because she didn’t see any Italian ancestry. It was a shock. The family’s last name is Palmadesso, so their Italian heritage was part of the sisters’ identity. They’d all grown up hearing that her dad’s family was Italian and Irish. 
It wasn’t until Cynthia got her 23andMe reports a few months ago, and opted-in to view her DNA relative connections, that the mystery started to deepen for the sisters. 
<div id="attachment_28060" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28060" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article-290x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28060 size-medium" width="290" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article-290x300.jpg 290w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/New-York-Daily-News-Article.jpg 700w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px" />A New York Daily News article about the kidnapping.</div>
<h6>Not Italian</h6>
Just like her sister, her report didn’t show any Italian ancestry. Instead, it showed she had Irish, Scottish and Spanish ancestry. She also matched with someone she’d never heard of, a 79-year-old man named Tommy Martin. The two share 22 percent of their DNA. That’s the same percentage Cynthia would share with a grandparent or uncle. Cynthia was so surprised by these findings that she asked Audrey to opt-in to view her DNA relative connections to see if she matched with Tommy. She did. 
The sisters had no idea who Tommy was or how they were related. 23andMe cautions customers about the possibility of <a href="https://you.23andme.com/public/unexpected-relationships">uncovering something unexpected</a>. The sister’s reports certainly fell into that category. At first, they hypothesized that their father, who passed away in 2017, was the child of an unknown affair, and that Tommy was their grandfather. Then they connected with Tommy and his half-sister Mary. As communicated back and forth with Tommy and his sister, a different and much more complicated story began to emerge.
<div id="attachment_28062" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28062" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-300x300.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28062 size-medium" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-1180x1180.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jerry-and-Tommy-as-young-boys.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Photos of the brothers as young children with Tommy on the right.</div>
<h6>A Kidnapping </h6>
Audrey and Cynthia realized that based on his age, Tommy was clearly an uncle, not their grandfather. When they learned why he tested with 23andMe in the first place, the sisters were stunned. Tommy was searching for his younger brother, Gerald “Jerry” Martin, who was kidnapped in 1945.
Tommy and Mary told the twins what happened. He was six, and his brother Jerry was 4 when it happened. The brothers were riding their bikes in Manhattan when a woman approached them. She asked the boys if they wanted some candy. Both said yes. The woman told Tommy to wait while she and Jerry went to buy some. Tommy never saw Jerry again. 
<h6>Looking for Leads</h6>
Audrey, Cynthia and Stephanie wanted to learn more. They found an article on the kidnapping. At first, police suspected Tommy and Jerry’s biological mother was somehow involved. There had been lingering issues with the dissolution of her relationship with Tommy and Jerry’s father, who the children lived with. But the police determined she wasn’t involved. Apart from those early suspicions they had few leads and the trail quickly went cold.  
For years, the boy’s father, Harold, checked in with the police department to see if there was anything new about his Jerry. Detectives never found anything solid.
While 23andMe predicted that Cynthia and Audrey were Tommy’s nieces, it was unclear if the twin’s father, who they knew as Richard Rocco Palmadesso, was, in fact, Tommy’s missing brother, Jerry. The sisters suspected that he was, but couldn’t be sure.
<div id="attachment_28061" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28061" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-300x253.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-28061" width="300" height="253" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-300x253.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-768x649.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-1024x865.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-880x743.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189-1180x997.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_6189.jpg 1242w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The photos of the two brothers with Richard on the left just before he passed away in 2017, and Tommy on the right.</div>
<h6>Family History </h6>
So they turned their attention to what they knew about their father’s parents, Angelo and Isabel Palmadesso. When their dad was 12, his mom died, so Richard was sent to live with his father’s brother. As an adult, Richard didn’t keep in touch with his father, the uncle who helped raise him or his cousins, and he rarely spoke about them. He did, however, stay in touch with the woman who’d been his nanny, Helen Horgan. Later in life, Helen even lived with Richard, his wife, and the twins. She died when Audrey and Cynthia were 10.
With their father and grandparents now dead, as well as Helen, the sisters had few relatives to turn to for answers. They decided to reach out to his uncle’s son. He told the sisters that the whole family knew their dad was not a blood relative. He believed that it was only their father who didn’t know. 
<h6>Is Their Dad the Kidnapped Boy?</h6>
But there was no story of a kidnapping. Instead, the family rumor was that Helen, the nanny, was his biological mother. According to family lore, he’d been taken in because Helen was a single mother. The twins also learned that the family believed Richard’s mother was a madame, and Helen was one of her prostitutes. The family assumed the father was a local gangster who Helen dated. 
Cynthia and Audrey weren’t sure what to believe, but using 23andMe they found that they didn’t share any DNA with their Palmadesso cousins. That left them with two clear facts — they were related to Tommy, but not to the Palmadesso family. But was their dad Tommy’s kidnapped brother?
<h6>A Theory</h6>
The sisters decided to go back and create a timeline of events. They discovered that Jerry was kidnapped in June of 1945, a couple of months before the man their father Richard thought was his father returned from his service in WWII. 
The sisters hypothesized that perhaps Richard’s mother may have lost a baby or felt the need to give her husband a son, and that may have been a motive to kidnap a boy, but they don’t know. They know that Richard’s parents did not have any other children of their own together, although Richard&#8217;s mother did have an older daughter from a prior relationship. 
Perhaps Richard’s mother thought her husband would be assuaged by having a child to raise, but all that was speculation.  The sisters really didn’t know.
And there was also some evidence to suggest their theory isn’t right. For instance, they found a birth certificate for their dad. It listed his birth year as 1943, which would make him two years younger than Jerry Martin. But as the twins point out, it could be a fake birth certificate. After all, their dad’s mom wouldn’t have known how old the kidnapped child was, but the twins simply don’t have evidence to show their theory is true. 
<h6>A New Family Connection</h6>
Meanwhile, Audrey and Cynthia have been getting to know Tommy and his half-sister Mary. 
They visited Tommy in Florida around Thanksgiving and learned he loves many of the same things their dad did. They shared a love of movies, acting and coconut cake, and have similar personalities. There’s also a physical resemblance.
“Our dad was always kind, funny, and silly. Always dreamed of being an actor, but never actually acted in anything,” said Cynthia. “Uncle Tom is very similar. He even had some headshots from when he was younger.”
One unexpected outcome of their investigation is that they’ve gained more insight into the kind of person their dad was. From talking to their cousins and other people in his life who knew him when he was younger, they learned that his parents were both hard on him. He would sit at the table and his mother wouldn’t allow him to talk. Their cousin told them that their dad was quiet and anxious all the time, which is basically the way he was as an adult. 
“Although our dad was very kind and we were close to him, there was always a disconnect with him and family,” Cynthia said. “It now makes more sense why he may have been this way.”
As for Tommy and his family, the kidnapping took a toll on both his parents and Tommy. He remembered that their father cried a lot, and he never stopped believing that his son Jerry was still out there and alive. 
Rachael Rifkin’s <a href="https://www.rachaelrifkin.com/">work</a> focuses on using storytelling and similarities to bridge the gap between generations, cultures, and backgrounds. Her newsletter, <a href="https://us4.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=4f80b2efda61c68e52aec9ae6&#038;id=e0c42f4bd2">Theory of Relative-ity</a>, is about the similarities that run in families, and what we can learn from those similarities.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Rachael Rifkin

23andMe Connection Offers Clues to a 75-year-old Mystery

<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="275" height="300" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-275x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27997" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-275x300.jpg 275w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-768x839.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-938x1024.jpg 938w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-806x880.jpg 806w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-1081x1180.jpg 1081w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" /></figure>



“Where are you from?” 



It’s a question, Jeremiah struggled to answer most of his life. His home was in Oakland, California, but for Jeremiah simply saying “Oakland” wasn’t enough. All his life he longed to be able to say more about his African heritage.&nbsp;



“I was a tree without roots,” Jeremiah said.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-paper-records-fail">Where Paper Records Fail</h6>



Seeing his 23andMe results, gave him that extra bit of information about his African ancestry that he’d always wanted to know, said Jeremiah.



Paper records and family lore could take Jeremiah back only so far. Like most African Americans, the scourge of slavery meant he could never trace back to where in Africa his ancestors were stolen from before they were shipped off into bondage. His parents and grandparents were unsure about their ancestry beyond a few generations. An entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Jeremiah’s driving purpose is his teenage daughters, but despite how far he had come, he still felt like a stranger to himself. 



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="254" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa-300x254.png" alt="" class="wp-image-26483" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa-300x254.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa.png 697w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



That changed four years ago when he received his 23andMe reports. He hoped DNA testing would offer him some of the answers he’d been searching for most of his life. He also wanted to give his daughters a better understanding of their ancestry. He wanted them to have the confidence that comes with truly knowing who you are.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connections-to-africa">Connections to Africa</h6>



Opening his results for the first time, “meant everything.” Jeremiah learned that he is a descendant of the Ghanaian people, with ancestors also in Nigeria, the Congo and other areas of Africa. In that one moment, he felt connected.



“I finally felt at peace with who I am,” Jeremiah reflected. “People often walk through life wanting to have others understand and know them, but they don’t always understand and know themselves. Getting to know the stranger within each of us will better arm us to assist the strangers we encounter in life.”



Jeremiah always felt an affinity with the rich cultural heritage of Ghana, so it thrilled him to learn of his ancestral connection to the region.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sankofa">Sankofa</h6>



To capture what his discovery has meant, Jeremiah mentions the word, “Sankofa.” In the Twi language of Ghana, it means “to go back and get.” The phrase embodies the concept that for humans to better understand what’s happening now and what is possible in the future, they need to go back and comprehend what happened before. That’s what Jeremiah is trying to do, he said.



To mark the 400th anniversary of slavery in America, the government of Ghana sponsored in 2019 something called the Year of Return. An estimated half a million people who are part of the African diaspora visited Ghana. Jeremiah is determined to make his own pilgrimage there “to go back and get.”



There is a rite of passage in Ghana where African-Americans can return and surrender their American name to receive a new African name. Jeremiah was never given a middle name, so he plans to participate. Only he won’t be surrendering his American name. Rather he will “go back and get” the name Kwame as his middle name. Kwame is the name traditionally given to men born on a Saturday, just like Jeremiah was.



“I’m looking forward to taking my daughters to Ghana so they can see for themselves where we come from,” Jeremiah said. “They’re still young so they don’t fully understand what I wrestled with for decades. We all have to figure out who we are, but I hope that knowing more about their Ghanain heritage will help them in that process.”



Not everyone will have the opportunity to travel back to where their ancestors came from, engage in the culture of their ancestors, and ensure their future generations know more than they did. For Jeremiah, his 23andMe kit wasn’t just enlightening, it was life-altering.&nbsp;



Now he knows where he comes from.



&nbsp;

Learning About Yourself With 23andMe

By Amanda McCorquodale
When I ordered my 23andMe kit, I thought genetic health information was simply another version of family health history gathered by doctors at every wellness visit. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Email-Icon.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-24279" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Email-Icon.jpg 168w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Email-Icon-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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<h6>My Results Are In </h6>
Yet when the email arrived indicating that my results were ready, I was suddenly terrified to read them. 
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After all, learning that your body may have a hidden risk is tough to stomach. Heck, even James Watson, one of the scientists who discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, refused to find out whether he carried the genetic variant that would put him at a higher risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

<h6>Do I Want to Know?</h6>
23andMe makes sure to put certain health results —the report that looks at your potential risk for late-onset Alzheimer&#8217;s disease for instance — behind many locked doors, so to speak, giving users the option to open them or keep them closed if they wish. Even if you decide to open these locked reports, 23andMe requires you to go through a tutorial to ensure you understand the reports before you open them. 
<div id="attachment_27955" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27955" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-300x267.png" alt="" class="wp-image-27955 size-medium" width="300" height="267" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-300x267.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-768x684.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-1024x913.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-880x784.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh-1180x1052.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/mutyh.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />There is an additional opt-in process for viewing four of the Genetic Health Risk reports.</div>
Genetics is not deterministic, and 23andMe doesn’t diagnose anything, I reminded myself. They are pretty clear that even if you have a genetic variant that puts you at a higher risk for certain conditions, it’s only one of many factors that could lead to developing the condition or disease. Often, the genetic test only identifies a small set of variants associated with the disease – so even if no variant is detected, you still may be at some genetic risk for the condition. 
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<h6>Information About Me</h6>
23andMe has more than a dozen different reports on Health Predispositions, including genetic health risk reports. You have to opt-into viewing those reports. There are also four of the reports — the Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Health Risk report*, the genetic health risk report on Parkinson’s Disease,* the BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk report*, and the MUTYH-associated Polyposis Genetic Health Risk report* — that require an additional opt-in to unlock those results. Before doing that 23andMe has you review a tutorial, to ensure you carefully consider whether or not you actually want to see the results. After reviewing the tutorial, I decided to unlock those reports and face my genetic health information head-on.
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I learned that I have three genetic variants that may influence my chances of <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">developing certain health conditions</a>. I have a slightly increased risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).* I was not surprised as I knew of relatives who had developed this late in life, but I was disappointed to learn I had inherited this genetic predisposition to vision loss. 
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The results put my genetic risk in perspective, however. There are things I can do to decrease the chances of developing AMD. I learned that making changes to my diet, and other lifestyle choices like not smoking play a major factor in my overall risk. 
<h6>Mitigating Risks</h6>
My risk for developing AMD is also something I could pass onto my kids, but knowing about it now allows me and any of my family to make lifestyle changes that could help mitigate those risks over time. 
&nbsp;
My results also revealed that based on my genetics I have about a 35 percent chance of developing <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/type-2-diabetes/">type 2 diabetes</a> at some point in the next 40 years, which is considered a typical likelihood for someone of my ethnic background. Having developed gestational diabetes twice myself and knowing multiple family members with diabetes, I was surprised that my genetic likelihood wasn’t higher.
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More surprising is that I carry one of the two genetic variants associated with <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency/">alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency</a>, a genetic condition I had never heard of that can lead to lung and liver disease.* According to my results, having just one of the variants is not associated with an increased risk. Yet, I wondered if having one variant could impact my health at all, so I made a note to ask my physician at my upcoming physical.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-300x173.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27974" width="300" height="173" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-300x173.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-768x444.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-1024x592.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-880x509.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/SERPINA1-1180x682.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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Looking at these different reports, I learned that I can take simple actions to mitigate my chances of developing these conditions. Genetics is important but often a small part of my overall health. 
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The results also put my long-term wellness in focus, and I found I was that much more motivated to pursue healthy habits such as eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercise regularly.  
You can read the first post on this three-part series <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andme-how-to/taking-the-leap-into-my-dna-part-i/">here</a>.
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.
*The 23andMe PGS test includes health predisposition and carrier status reports. Health predisposition reports include both reports that meet US FDA requirements for genetic health risks and the 23andMe Type 2 Diabetes health predisposition report which is based on 23andMe research and has not been reviewed by the FDA. The 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. The MUTYH-Associated Polyposis Genetic Health Risk Report is indicated for reporting the Y179C and G396D variants in the MUTYH gene and an increased risk for colorectal cancer. The two variants included in this report are most common in people of Northern European descent. These reports do not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in these reports do 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>.

Amanda McCorquodale

Taking a Leap Into My DNA: Part II

By Andrew Todhunter
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Thomas Johnson was curious. How much Native American ancestry did he have? A software developer and former US Army medic from Stockton, California, he grew up in the northwest corner of Indiana. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1529-scaled-e1580857298484-300x258.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27948 size-medium" width="300" height="258" />

“Where I grew up, there’s a belief that everyone from that part of the country has some percentage of Native American ancestry,” he said. 

Born in 1971, Thomas grew up with a single mom and never knew his biological father. Whenever he asked his mother about that side of the family, he got nowhere. 

“I thought this was a mystery that I’d never solve,” he said. 
<h6>A DNA Relative Match</h6>
In January of 2017, he bought a 23andMe <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">DNA test kit</a>, mailed it in, and waited.  When he received the email that his reports were ready, Thomas logged in one afternoon at work. After opting in to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">23andMe’s DNA Relatives</a> feature, he learned that his DNA had matched with a close genetic relative: Edwina Kimble. A name he’d never heard before. The test estimated that Edwina was his paternal grandmother. There at work, staring at the screen, Thomas started to cry. 

He immediately began to search for his grandmother online, and soon came upon her obituary. She had passed away less than two months before he submitted his DNA test, at age 94. 

After decades without answers, the timing stunned him. “I just missed her,” he said. 
<h6>Becoming a Baby Brother</h6>
He found the names of her six children in the obituary—one daughter and five sons. One of those men, he knew, must be his biological father. He soon found a cousin on his father’s side who shared a mutual friend. One connection led to another, and finally, he reached his grandmother’s descendants. 

“The brothers knew right away I was Tommy&#8217;s boy,” he said. “They knew he had dated my mother, and they welcomed me right into the family.”

Thomas learned that he had an older sister named Charnell, who is four years older than him. 

“She later told me she’d always wanted a baby brother,” he said. 
<h6>Connecting</h6>
Their father’s only children, Thomas and Charnell grew up in the same neighborhood. They went to the same private elementary school and the same high school, but the four-year age gap was just wide enough to keep them from overlapping. After he’d made contact, Thomas communicated almost daily with his family in Indiana. In their conversations and video chats, Charnell noticed that Thomas had the same laugh and many of the same mannerisms as their father, even though the two had never met.

“When I first called my Dad on the phone,” Thomas said, “we just laughed. Since then we’ve met in person&#8230; A few months ago, he called me ‘son’ for the first time.”

For her part, Charnell embraced her role as big sister. “She was all in my business about my love life,” Thomas said, laughing. “She was an only child and she told me, ‘I want nieces and nephews from you!’”
<h6>Getting Some Help Finding His Valentine</h6>
Charnell and their cousin Anita started matchmaking for Thomas remotely and set up a profile for him on a dating app for those seeking long-term relationships. At first, nothing came of it, but in July of 2017, he found Maria Vejar.
<div id="attachment_27951" style="width: 289px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27951" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1592-1-scaled-e1580857362382-279x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27951 size-medium" width="279" height="300" />Thomas gets down on his knee to ask Maria to marry him.</div>
Maria had a beautiful smile and they shared many interests, including family, faith, hiking, and the importance of helping others. Thomas reached out, and Maria responded. They communicated online for two weeks, then moved to conversations by phone. When they first met in person, said Thomas, everything felt right. They grew steadily closer, and Thomas proposed at a 23andMe event called DNA Day. They’ve set the date for November of 2020. 

“Maria is so giving,” said Thomas. “She’ll always do for others before she does for herself. I’ve never met anyone like her. She told me, ‘I haven’t known love like this, ever.’ And I feel the same way.” 

<h6>A Growing Family</h6>
Maria comes from a large, tight-knit family in California, and has two children of her own—20-year-old Samuel and 18-year-old Mariah. In his new life with Maria, Thomas is gaining another big family he never expected. 
<div id="attachment_27953" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27953" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMG_1637-scaled-e1580857587951-300x261.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27953 size-medium" width="300" height="261" />Maria said yes.</div>
And the curiosity about his percentage of Native American ancestry, that led Thomas to take the DNA test in the first place? Those results came back too. He’s only a fraction Native American, at 1.7 percent, but he has a doting older sister and cousins and nieces and nephews and a father he thought he’d never find.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said. “I just became an uncle twice, and I have three godchildren. I have family birthdays all over my calendar. When I was younger, more family was the one thing I wanted most that I didn’t have. When I joined the military, they became my family. Later, the church became my family. Now I have real family.”

And here on Valentine’s Day, he and Maria have each other.

<a href="http://www.andrewtodhunter.com/about">Andrew Todhunter</a> is an award-winning writer, filmmaker, and lecturer at Stanford University. The author of three books, including the PEN USA Literary Award-Winning A Meal Observed, his journalism includes dozens of articles in publications such as National Geographic, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal.

Andrew Todhunter

Thomas Finds Family, and then His Valentine

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. 
_____________________________________________________________________
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.

Stories — Page 7