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Ever wondered about your ancestors?
For some, it matters more than others. Especially for people who grew up not knowing much, if anything about a parent.
Or maybe not even knowing they existed.
Well, the internet has made it easier to become a family tree detective. And sites like ancestry.com and 23andme are becoming a go-to stop to mine for familial information.
On the latest episode of our To The Point Already podcast, Spectrum Bay News 9's Rick Elmhorst and Roy DeJesus talk with Andrea Lyon, whose ancestry adventure led to her finding her long-lost father.
Lyon, 32, explained her mother had her young and thought she may have known who her father was but wasn’t really sure.
Andrea Lyon poses for a selfie with her father, Norman "Butch" Johnson. Lyon never knew who her father was growing up and only recently found him thanks to some DNA detective work. (Andrea Lyon)
A DNA test when she was a teen confirmed that the person she thought was her dad was not.
Fast forward many years later and Lyon, now a married mother, sought out information again, first on 23andme and then through the non-profit DNA Angels.
"With her (Lyon) case, we didn't have a lot of close matches," said Amy Morris with DNA Angels, who worked on Lyon's case. "(The top match) was a 2nd cousin. But luckily she had a unique name and I was able to find her on Facebook and work the (family) tree out."
That led her to matches on a previously unknown family tree and a contact that led to an amazing phone call.
“I texted ‘Is this Norman?’ ’’ said Lyon, who immediately received a phone call from the number.
After a 10-minute conversation, she had to blurt it out: “I think you could be my dad.”
Norman Lester "Butch" Johnson II simply asked “Well, whose your mom?”
Facebook exchanges and pictures followed (to which both acknowledged how much they resembled each other) and the foundation of a relationship was laid.
"It was very emotional," Lyon said of making the connection with her father. "For someone to just openly accept me like that - it wasn't expected. It never dawned on me that I'd create a relationship with this person.
"It's changed my life in every way imaginable."
ABOUT THE SHOW
Spectrum Bay News 9 Anchor Rick Elmhorst sits down with the people that represent you, the people fighting for change and the people with fascinating stories to ask the hard questions.
To The Point Already will cover people, politics and issues from a Tampa Bay perspective every Wednesday.