Friends for 30 years before DNA testing revealed they were sisters

The popularity of home DNA testing has grown significantly in recent years, with these tests being used to answer some of life’s most important personal questions.

Sometimes those questions are asked quietly, at home, by someone with a private doubt. And sometimes, they’re answered by accident, decades later, in the most unexpected way.

That was the case for Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen.

Both Meena and Minal were adopted as babies from orphanages in India and raised by separate families in the Netherlands, just a short drive apart. As teenagers, they met by chance at a gathering for adopted children 30 years ago, and felt an instant, unusual connection – close enough that they nicknamed each other “sis”, before losing touch.

That was until earlier this year, when a home DNA test confirmed they were really sisters, with a 100% biological match.

Their story is a striking example of something DNA testing does every day, on a much less public scale: turning uncertainty about family relationships into a definitive answer.

What prompted Meena and Minal to take a DNA test?

As can often happen with teen friendships, Meena and Minal drifted apart as they moved into adulthood, with both women starting families of their own, and Minal eventually relocating to France.

For Meena, the questions she carried about her biological family never faded. Since 2017, she had been submitting her DNA to a genealogy database, hoping to find any trace of her birth relatives.

Minal had no information about her birth family at all. Though she describes feeling loved by her adoptive parents and siblings, she carried a quiet sense of loneliness throughout her life and had always hoped to find biological relatives someday.

That hope was finally realised in April this year, when Minal decided to take a DNA test. Sitting on her sofa one afternoon, a notification appeared on her phone: a 100% match for a sister.

At first, she didn’t even realise it was the same Meena she’d met as a teenager, until she looked her up on social media and recognized her face.

How sibling DNA testing works

Meena and Minal’s result came from exactly the kind of test AlphaBiolabs offers: a sibling DNA test, used to determine whether two people share both biological parents (full siblings), one biological parent (half-siblings), or whether they are unrelated.

Unlike a paternity or maternity test, which compares a child’s DNA directly against a parent’s, a sibling test works a little differently.

Because siblings don’t inherit identical halves of their DNA from each parent, the laboratory must calculate how likely it is that a biological relationship exists, rather than simply confirming a direct match.

• Full siblings, who share both biological parents, typically share around 50% of their DNA
• Half-siblings, who share only one biological parent, typically share around 25% of their DNA

For the test, cheek swab samples are collected from each person being tested. Where possible, including a sample from the biological mother or father increases the chances of a conclusive result, as it gives the laboratory more information to work with – but this isn’t essential.

Our geneticists then analyze the DNA at multiple markers and use statistical analysis to calculate a likelihood ratio, showing how probable it is that the tested relationship exists:

• A score of 10 or above is considered supportive of a sibling relationship
• A score of 0 to 0.1 is not supportive, meaning the individuals are unlikely to be related
• A score between 0.1 and 10 is inconclusive

This is exactly the kind of testing that gave Meena and Minal their answer, comparing their DNA and confirming, with certainty, what they’d wondered for years: they really were sisters.

Learn more: Can a DNA test prove half-siblings?

Other reasons people turn to DNA relationship testing

While sibling testing answered Meena and Minal’s question, it’s just one of a wider range of home DNA tests used to confirm family relationships.

Depending on the circumstances, other tests may be more appropriate, including:

• Paternity and maternity testing
  The most common form of relationship DNA testing, used to confirm whether a man or woman is the biological parent of a child.
• Grandparent DNA testing
  Commonly used where a biological parent has passed away or is otherwise unavailable, this test establishes whether or not there is a biological link between a grandparent and grandchild instead.
• Aunt and uncle DNA testing
  Also known as avuncular testing, these tests can help establish whether a biological relationship exists between an aunt or uncle and their niece or nephew. Like the grandparent DNA test, these tests are commonly used in situations where a parent cannot be tested directly.

Many relationship DNA tests, including paternity, maternity, aunt/uncle and grandparent tests, use the same core scientific principle: comparing shared genetic markers between individuals to determine whether a biological relationship exists.

In each case, the right test simply depends on which relationship needs confirming, and who is available to be tested.

Learn more: Should I take a DNA test?

Getting a DNA relationship test with AlphaBiolabs

For anyone facing the kind of uncertainty Meena and Minal lived with for years, AlphaBiolabs offers a full range of home DNA relationship tests, giving individuals and families the answers they’re looking for, discreetly and from the comfort of home.

Our peace of mind DNA test kits are easy-to-use, affordable, and offer rapid results, with all analysis performed at our ISO 17025-accredited and BBB A+ certified laboratory.

How it works:

• Order your test kit online and we’ll mail it to you in discreet, plain packaging
• Follow the instructions provided to collect your own cheek swab DNA samples at home
• Return your samples to our laboratory. As soon as we receive them, testing can begin
• Receive your secure, password-protected results by email. Results are available in just 3 business days from lab receipt of samples, for almost all our DNA tests

Learn more: How to choose the right DNA test – a comprehensive guide

The missing piece of the puzzle

While not every story is as extraordinary as that of Meena and Minal, for anyone living with uncertainty about a family relationship, the science of DNA testing can provide answers from the privacy of your own home.

At AlphaBiolabs, we understand just how sensitive the decision to order a DNA test can be. That’s why all our testing is 100% private and confidential: your test kit arrives in discreet, plain packaging, your payment won’t be identifiable on a bank statement, and we’ll never share your data with third-party organizations or DNA matching services.

Explore our full range of DNA tests, call our friendly, discreet Customer Services team on 727-325-2902 or email info@alphabiolabsusa.com for advice on the best test to suit your needs.

You can also visit our Learning Center to learn more about DNA testing.