How a DNA test and Facebook sleuthing helped this P.E.I. woman find her biological family

After decades of searching, Michelle Blanchard of Charlottetown finally tracked down her family,locating her biological mother,brother and sister in St. John's.

Michellefound them in December with help from an online DNA test and otherrelatives playing detective onFacebook, and met them in early January.

"It was the most incredible day of my life," Michellesaidabout the reunion.

Last September, Michelledecided to take anancestryDNA test, which involves submitting a saliva samplein a test tube that she sent back in the mail.Her results arrived a month later.

"I found out I was British and Irish, not Acadian and francophone as I was raised," she said. She had been adopted by Francis and Bertha Blanchard, who'd always beensupportive of her quest to find blood relatives.

How DNA tests and Facebook sleuthing helped this P.E.I. woman find her biological family

5 years ago

Duration 9:05

After taking a DNA test, Michelle Blanchard found she had family scattered across the country. Some serious research later showed that all paths to find her biological family led to Newfoundland. Here is her story.

'All paths led to Newfoundland'

The DNA testing company'sdatabase linkedMichelle with about 1,200 peoplewho had also registered their DNA. Most of them were only distantly related, but she did find a couple of second cousins. She reached out to people who were matches, looking for closer relatives.

"The big surprise, as soon as I started to connect with people, was that all paths led to Newfoundland," she said.

She had sought information years earlierfrom the Prince Edward Islandgovernment, where adoption records are sealed a law that's poised to change in 2021. Michellehad been told both her biologicalparents were from Nova Scotia. All she had to go on was her birth name, Karen Marie Crocker.

"So I was off on a wild goose chase for many years before the DNA happened, looking for people in Nova Scotia," she said.

One of the second cousins she found, wholivesin Ontario but was originally from Newfoundland, wanted to help Michelle solve the mystery of her birth. She began asking aunts, uncles and cousins if they might know anything about a child born in P.E.I., or outside marriage and discovered there had long been a family rumour of a child whohad been adopted out, with the surname Crocker.

My entire life I felt like I was missing a sister. Wendy Dunne

The samecousin began scouring other cousins' Facebook profiles for anyone who resembled Michelle and found a photo of Wendy Dunne of Newfoundland and Labrador. Wendyand Michelleboth had the family's trademark prematurely-white hair, and the maiden name of Wendy's mother Jeanette wasCrocker.

"As soon as I saw the photograph, I shook from head to foot," Michellesaid."I never in my life had seen anybody who looked like me, let alone that much.Like it was literally my eyes in her head, and it was mind-boggling."

Wendyhad a very similar reactionin N.L.when thecousin shared a photo of Michelle.

"I was like, 'Yeah, she's my sister.I have no doubt.' At that point, I went, 'You're going to have to send me a DNA kit,'" she recalled tellingher cousin.

After Wendytook the test, there were four weeks of waiting. Michellesaid she restrained herself from reaching out to Wendy and her birth mother.

"It was like, 'Let's just proceed slowly and gently here, because we might be about to blow up a family,'" Michellesaid.

Michellesaid she'll never forget logging onto the website to see the results,"full sister, Wendy Dunne."

She found out she also had a biologicalbrother, Mark, and that her mother Jeanette Dunne (formerly Jeanette Crocker) was still alive and living with Wendyin St. John's. Their father Blaisedied in 2011.

Michelle and Wendy exchanged phone numbers and immediately began video-chatting.

In St. John's, Wendy had received the news from the DNA testingat workandwas "thrilled." She said it only took a few minutes for her to leave the office and drive home to break the news to hermother.

"I said 'So, I know I have a sister,'" Wendy recalled. "And she started to cry. Then, I started to cry. Then, the conversation started."

"I think I was half-prepared," said Jeanette. She had overheard some of Wendy's communication with hercousin about DNA in previous weeks, but hadn't said a word. She'd also caught a glimpse of Michelle's photo on Wendy's computer.

"And when I glanced at the picture I thought, 'Oh my God,I'm looking at myself,'" Jeanette said.

Jeanette said although the news made her happy,the first few days she was too overwhelmed to talk to Michelle.

"It was a relief, first of all," Jeanette said, breaking down in tears. "It was very emotional, and it still is to a great degree."

The most important thing for Jeanette was that Mark and Wendy were OK with the news.

'I intrinsically knew her'

The siblings began planning to meet,and decided Michellewould fly to St. John's on Jan. 11. Michellesuggested theymeet at her hotel rather than the airport.

"It was the most incredible moment we just hugged each other and held each other," said Michelle, on meeting her biological mother. "I intrinsically knew her.She felt familiar to me, right? I felt an immediate connection to her. And we've missed our entire lives together."

Jeanette finally got to hold her, and said there were a lot of tears.

She was in my heart all those years but not in my arms. Jeanette Dunne

"She was in my heart all those years but not in my arms," said Jeanette, tearfully. She's 75and happy she's alive to meet her eldest child.

The family talked for hours, too busy to even take photos that first day. The cousin who helpedsolvethe mystery also joined them, as she'd been serendipitously inSt. John's for work.

"My entire life I felt like I was missing a sister," Wendy said. "I told Michelle, 'I feel like I was waiting for you my whole life.'"

'It's how things were back then'

Jeanette was Catholic and 21, and just as she finished nursing school, got pregnant out of wedlock, which she said was "very taboo."

Her priest arranged to have her sent to Charlottetown to a home for unmarried mothers. She wasn't allowed to see Michelle after she was born.

"Families back in those days were close to their church,"Jeanette said, who's no longer Catholic. "I don't really remember the exact conversations that happened around it when I made it known that I was pregnant. It's all a little bit foggy, but it's how things were back then."

Jeanette's experience was not unique. According to a Senate of Canada report, between 1945 and 1971 nearly 600,000 so-called illegitimate birthswere recorded,and many,if not most women living in maternity homes, were pressured into surrendering their children for adoption.

Even though she had married Michelle's birth father and later had Wendy and Mark, Jeanette said the couple didn't try to find their first-born although she said she often thought about her.

"It's just the way it was," Jeanette said."You just carried on with your life."

Michellebelieves "there's much to be repaired here," including an apology from government and free counselling services for those affected by adoption trauma.

Takingit one day at a time

The family is looking forward to seeing each other again, and more members of the extended family want to meet Michelle.

Michelle plans to return to the provinceas soon as possible.

"I'm a Newfoundlander.It's the best thing ever," she said, with a laugh. She even mused on the possibility of moving there, noting "one North Atlantic windswept island to another isn't really a big cultural change."

For now, she said the family is taking it one day at a time and seeing "where the new path is leading us all together."

For those considering a DNA test to find relatives, Michellerecommends it "with a grain of salt if you're looking for a fairy tale, you're not going to find it on the other end." She praised the DNA testing companyfor warning at each step that users be prepared for life-altering information.

"Am I glad it turned out this way? You're darn straight I am.It's beyond my wildest expectations, but I was ready for whatever it was."

More P.E.I. news