Genetic Testing Reunites Daughter With Birth Mom For Mother's Day

MARINA DEL REY, CA – She always knew she was adopted. It was obvious, she said, because her brother is also adopted and her parents were open and supportive about it. When Megan Meier spit into a vial and mailed it off to 23andMe, a DNA genetic testing and analysis company, she just wanted to learn more about her background and her health risks since her adoption paperwork was minimal. What she didn't know, was her vial of spit would lead her to her birth mother.

Meier, from Marina del Rey, mailed in the test kit and received her results at the end of January. As she was flipping through the reports, she came across a "DNA Relatives" section and the top match was a man named Rick, supposedly her second cousin. In her bio, she wrote that she was looking to connect to family – and within an hour of connecting to her second cousin, he messaged her from the app.

"He told me he was pretty sure we were second cousins, because his first cousin gave a baby girl up for adoption in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1984," Meier said. "My jaw dropped. I almost dropped my phone. I couldn't believe it."

Rick gave her an e-mail address for her birth mother, but at first, Meier was skeptical. Many people searching for their birth families have to spend hundreds of dollars to hire private investigators, she said. Within an hour, she had been connected to hers – what were the odds?

She sent an e-mail but was cautious. She asked if the woman, Rita Conrad, had proof that she was her birth mom. Conrad sent Meier two photos that were previously sent to her adoptive mom, so Meier knew it was legitimate.

"She was really excited," Meier said. "She told me she had thought about reaching out to me, but didn't want to interrupt my life."

After exchanging e-mails for months, the mom and daughter decided to meet in person. With the help of 23andMe, Meier met face-to-face with her birth mom and grandmother at a brunch in New York. At a restaurant surrounded by beautiful flowers, Meier and her mother were able to bond, and it "really felt like Mother's Day," she said.

For her, it was a lot of excitement. For her birth mom, it was more nerves and overwhelming feelings, she said.

"It was really fun to see the similarities in mannerisms, and people said we have the same smile," she said.

Her adoptive parents are "absolutely amazing" and supportive, she said. She's never had to want for anything, and she never had a hard life. In fact, her adoptive mom was so supportive that she came with her to New York to meet her birth mom, she said.

Now that the two have reconnected, Meier plans to continue to grow her relationship with her birth mother. She's hoping to visit Wisconsin this summer to meet the rest of her extended family.

Main photos are of Megan Meier (left) and Rita Conrad (right), courtesy of 23andMe