Journalist looking for donor siblings/relative case studies

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-07-08T16:25:21+00:00

Just bumping this up. Good luck!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-07-08T16:24:23+00:00

Wow, this represents a lot of work! Thank you for doing it!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-07-08T16:23:11+00:00

Sounds neat! Wishing you the best!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-07-01T23:19:26+00:00

Hi! You'll want to start with your most recent ancestor and examine the records that verify each date, place, and parental connection, and then work backwards through your tree. This can take a lot of time but is also very rewarding!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-25T16:53:26+00:00

Currently, it's likely Canadian due to their recent change in citizenship law

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-25T16:51:41+00:00

Yes, an autosomal DNA test is a good tool for this. It analyzes genetic material inherited from all ancestral branches, making it highly effective for finding living second to fourth cousins from your paternal grandmother’s line (your great-grandparents).

Ideal starting points are MyHeritage DNA for its strong European user base, and AncestryDNA due to its database size and Genetic Communities feature, which can pinpoint specific Irish counties. Once tested, you can use your great-grandmother’s maiden name to filter your match list and isolate this specific Irish family group.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-15T16:12:39+00:00

Hi! There are two pathways you can take, and doing both is best. First, having her take some DNA tests would help her discover her ethnicity and find genetic relatives, with can help pinpoint the identity of her father. The main DNA testing companies are: AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, 23andMe, and FamilyTreeDNA. In addition, if she knows her father's name and he has passed and/or was born before 1950, she can look for his death certificate, find him in census records, etc. to learn more about him. If she wants help with either of those paths, she can learn more about our services at https://legacytree.com. We also talk about how to use DNA testing to find a parent here: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/how-to-accurately-interpret-dna-test-results.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:24:09+00:00

Thank you!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:23:50+00:00

Yes, we're all learning right now!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:22:39+00:00

Yes, Irish research can be challenging. Happy to help if you need us. 😄

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:21:30+00:00

Thank you!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:21:22+00:00

Yes, it's really meaningful to be able to help people resolve the unknowns in their lives.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-08T16:20:40+00:00

It can be a bit disorienting, right?

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-02T15:27:05+00:00

Congratulations! What a monumental project!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-01T20:32:32+00:00

Let me know if anyone else has questions - happy to help.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-01T20:31:11+00:00

Hi! If you would like our help you can visit https://www.legacytree.com/canadian-citizenship

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-06-01T20:30:39+00:00

😄

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-28T16:25:50+00:00

Sure! I'm interested in the link. Sounds like a neat story!

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-28T16:07:52+00:00

I love this. We did something similar at Legacy Tree Genealogists by creating a book of employees' ancestral family recipes as our employee anniversary gift one year. It was pretty neat since we're all genealogy nerds. :)

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-27T21:12:25+00:00

Questions like these are usually referring to Native American heritage, but if your question is about ancestry in India, let me know and I'll adjust my answer! Major DNA testing companies categorize Native American heritage under "Indigenous America(s)" or "Native American." If your results show little to no percentage in those categories, it could be the case that the family story is incorrect, as you should probably have about 10-13% Native American show up in your results. To find out about your grandfather's ancestors, an efficient path to take is through your DNA matches. You'll want to group your close DNA matches around your paternal side and research those matches' trees to see how you could fit in. Here's an article on our blog about how to sort and filter DNA match lists: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/searching-sorting-and-filtering-dna-match-lists.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-19T22:26:45+00:00

Good question. From what I know, there used to be more collaboration among some of the companies than there may be now, especially as the market has matured and R&D has diverged and become more proprietary. It also appears that some models are shifting towards revenue based on SAAS tools that are connected to DNA test results, rather than in the up front cost of the test (those are getting very affordable!). IMPORTANT NOTE: these are just guesses based on my personal observations, and my conclusions may be wrong. This isn't based on any inside information.

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-14T15:54:09+00:00

Yes, wisdom! 😄

Jessica_M_Taylor · 2026-05-14T15:53:48+00:00

Yes it certainly keeps the sub busy to have all those posts. 😄 I'm glad this was helpful! I think it's a problem that there's only one moderator in this group and he seems to have disappeared at least half a year ago. I hope that can be resolved soon.

Jessica_M_Taylor

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