She took a DNA test to “have fun” and found out that she was not the biological father of her 12-year-old son.

Vanner and Donna Johnson They were looking for their second child in 2007 when they decided to focus on in vitro fertilization. They paid for the treatment, followed all the steps and 9 months later their expected baby was born., but during the fertilization something happened that they just they discovered it 12 years later.

The trigger for this unexpected surprise was a DNA test that this family from Utah wanted to do as something fun but ended up falling like a bomb that hurt everyone. It is because this child born thanks to a medical treatment, did not finally have the genes of his father.

It was the “23andMe” DNA kit, which they acquired as a game the whole family would make. However, When they received their results a month later, the family was shocked.

“When I looked at this page and saw the phrase: ‘unknown father’, I thought “What do you mean by unknown father, if I am his father?” ““said Vanner Johnson, recalling the surprise that an unexpected truth generated in him. “When we saw these results, we knew there had to be something wrong”Donna added.

What exactly happened? What the DNA test revealed is that Vanner is not the biological father of his child and that Donna’s egg was fertilized by someone else’s sperm during the in vitro fertilization process. “I understood that there is a possibility of error during the treatments, but it is really not common, it is very far away “said the frustrated father.

What happened was an earthquake that forced parents to order their minds: “There were a lot of emotions that we had to overcome. We had to separate what love for our son is, which hasn’t changed for a second, from the problem we were facing. How did this happen and what do we do now? », Described the man.

The Johnsons waited over a year to break the news to their son, who is now 12 years old. “I took him for a ride in our car, and we were actually going for ice cream. I wanted to make sure his attention was only on our conversation. “

“He knew his birth was the product of fertilization treatment so I told him: “Turns out when we did, something happened and we don’t know what happened, but I’m not really your biological father.”

The boy froze, looked ahead in the car, then turned and looked his father straight in the eye: “Seriously?”.

A harsh and moving speech, in which the boy just said the only thing that mattered: “He told me he loved me”.

Finding the other parent

As the family grappled with the shocking news, They decided to have another DNA test done in a lab to find out who the biological father really is.

Through research, Vanner believed Devin McNeil to be his biological father. He found her phone number and decided to call her cold. Devin said he ignored both calls because he thought they were spam, but on the third call, he finally answered.

“He told us the story, obviously we weren’t very gullible at first but the more details came out the more obvious it was that something had happened that involved us.”Devin said.

Eager for some answers the two families began to piece together the times and places they were both at the Center for Reproductive Medicine from the University of Utah.

“There was an appointment where we were at the clinic at the same time. I was doing transfers, so that’s when they put the embryos back in and she was doing the retrieval when they took her eggs and retrieved them and it was the same day … we thought at the same time, 14 years ago “, dijo Kelly McNeil.

“There really isn’t a manual for what we’re trying to do.. The process is continuous, when you ask for advice there is really no advice that can be given So, what are you doing ? Vanner admitted.

The two families support each other in determining what will come next, the McNeils live in Colorado and the Johnsons live in Utah.

Finally came the day when the two families they met in a Utah park only to meet in person.

While the conversation was difficult for the McNeils with their other children, Kelly said her children have responded well.

“I just wanted them to accept that they had a half-brother and someone else to love., but they were immediately able to play in the park and just turned this predicament and something that should never have happened, into something good “Kelly said.

Go back in time…

As the four of them deal with this turn of events, a difficult question arises: Do you regret having taken this DNA test?

“Yes, sometimes. But whether it was now or 20 years from now … it would have been known. I don’t think there would have been a way to avoid not knowing, ”Donna said.

The two families they are preparing to file two separate lawsuits against the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the University of Utah.

“What we are suffering from is grossly insufficient. And as we go through this process… I thought because of what we’re dealing with, it would be treated differently or with more caution and it’s not happening at all, ”Vanner said.

“They make you feel like everything is so safe and secure and there is triple checking and you are physically and visually checking everything you provide. They make you feel and think the checks and balances are in place when they probably are, but obviously we are one of many cases where things happen and there are mistakes.Devin said.

The University of Utah made the following statement to ABC4: “While we are unable to comment on cases of patients without consent or pending litigation, the safety and care of our patients are our primary objective. “

“If patients come to us with questions or concerns about their care, we evaluate our care and procedures and, if necessary, make changes to avoid harming other patients. Our providers and staff strive to provide excellent care and we are constantly working to make improvements. “