Mother Gets DNA Test as Christmas Gift, Starts to Get Nervous and Refuses to Take It

A man thought a fun gift for his family’s Christmas gift swap tradition would be DNA test kits. But for his family, it was this thoughtful gift that rocked the boat and almost derailed their holiday eve.

Christmas is the perfect festivity for a fun-filled family celebration and gift exchanges. That said, a man took advantage of a sale of AncestryDNA kits and thought throwing a few under the Christmas tree would be exciting.

Redditor Snorkels721 amusingly bought six DNA test kits each for his mother, father, brother, two sisters, and himself, without thinking twice about the bitter consequences.

Son's fun Christmas gifting idea goes wrong after elderly mother unwraps it | Photo: Flickr

The Original Poster (OP) assumed the DNA tests kits would help his family interpret their ancestral background. However, he had no clue just about how much these kits would unravel.

The family was excited about the gifts, and just as they unwrapped their respective parcels together, OP’s mom freaked out.

She realized what her son had gifted everyone and acted weird. She then tried to convince the family not to use the kits, claiming they had certain unsafe chemicals.

OP's mother unwrapped the gift, unaware of what was inside | Photo: Pexels

But OP was determined everyone use their kits and explained to his mom how they had no harmful chemicals. However, he could still tell she looked unsettled.

Meanwhile, what was supposedly a joyous family bonding soon turned into an unforgettable nightmare.

Unmoved and startled still, the mom later agreed to the test. But she insisted that only one of them take it since the results would be typical for all and suggested to resell the unused kits to save money.

OP's mom insisted that only one of the children take the DNA test | Photo: Pexels

Moments later, OP and his siblings heard their parents engaging in an ugly spat upstairs. Meanwhile, they jokingly tried to figure out who had a different dad, and OP thought posting his story on Reddit would be amusing.

Soon, the people on Reddit related to OP’s story and shared their DNA test stories. Redditor ozzytoldme2 recalled:

“My ex had blood type AB. She told me her dad had blood type O+. I told her that didn’t work...Her mom admitted that her dad wasn’t her dad. [Expletive] my birthday right up.”

OP’s story became viral, and several people were left wondering why his mom acted so oddly to the DNA tests and speculated what she hid from the family.

OP's parents had an intense argument upstairs | Photo: Pexels

Meanwhile, Redditor ebroms revealed how her experience happened to be the opposite. “I did 23 & Me and found out that my first cousin, who I’m not close with, also had done 23 & Me because it matched us as first cousins,” the person stated.

The user’s cousin was estranged from her dad, and when the Redditor disclosed the test results to her dad, he was shocked and told her he’d have to call his brother immediately.

“Turned out that my uncle has been convinced for decades that his ex-wife had an affair and his youngest daughter, Karen, wasn’t really his...It turns out she has been his whole time,” the user recounted.

OP rummaged through the responses and eventually revealed a staggering truth in a long-awaited update. He claimed he and his siblings hadn’t yet decided on taking the tests but they were determined to hold onto their love regardless of the results.

People on Reddit shared their harrowing experiences after DNA testing | Photo: Unsplash

Meanwhile, what was supposedly a joyous family bonding soon turned into an unforgettable nightmare. OP’s mother later admitted that his sister’s father was a different man who passed away shortly after her birth. The mom then met her current partner, who helped her through the darkest time.

The couple fell in love and raised a family, but she preferred to keep it a secret as it was too distressing to speak out and revisit her memories. After the incident, the mother mustered the courage to recall her past and even showed her children old photos.

“It truly brought us even closer together as a family...This is a Christmas we will never forget!” OP recounted and added how everyone was excited about their paternity results. “Merry Christmas, everyone!” he concluded.

The truth brought OP's family even closer & it was indeed their most unforgettable Christmas eve ever! | Photo: Pexels

Questions to Ponder

Had OP not gotten the DNA test kits, would he have still found out about their ancestry?

OP thought the DNA test kits would make a good gift for his family, but his gesture soon unlocked some ancestral secrets that his parents had well-preserved for years. If the DNA test kits weren’t involved, it’s anybody’s guess if OP and his siblings would’ve unraveled their mother's secret.

Should parents disclose their children’s ancestry to them, or would it be better off a skeleton in the closet?

Luckily for OP and his siblings, they readily embraced the truth of their mom’s dark past and the obstacles she had to surpass to hold their nest together. She had kept their ancestral secrets under wraps considering her unwillingness and fear. Do you think the truth could’ve backfired if OP found out himself much later?

If you enjoyed reading this story, then you might want to take a look at this one about how a husband’s secret DNA test on his middle child landed him and his wife in the divorce court.

All images are for illustration purposes only. Please share your story with us; maybe it’ll change someone’s life. If you’d like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

Share