John Brennan

You know, she doesn't recall any kind of significant moment that would lead her to believe it's either one of us in particular. So as far as I'm concerned, it's a coin toss. And she's very early stages pregnancy, not showing or anything like that. What do you do? Do you wait until the baby's born?

I've never been in a situation like this. So we just look up, is it possible to do a DNA test before a baby's born? And we find this company that will do a prenatal DNA test. And I'm like, what? What does that even mean? What is that? What does that mean?

I've never been in a situation like this. So we just look up, is it possible to do a DNA test before a baby's born? And we find this company that will do a prenatal DNA test. And I'm like, what? What does that even mean? What is that? What does that mean?

Yeah, this guy shows up in this old car, comes to the door with a briefcase and decides that he's gonna do this DNA test at our kitchen table, which is a pigsty. And I remember I just having to scoop beer cans to the side and he throws down his briefcase and whips out needles. And my gut's telling me this is probably not the best situation. It didn't seem super legit.

Yeah, this guy shows up in this old car, comes to the door with a briefcase and decides that he's gonna do this DNA test at our kitchen table, which is a pigsty. And I remember I just having to scoop beer cans to the side and he throws down his briefcase and whips out needles. And my gut's telling me this is probably not the best situation. It didn't seem super legit.

What are we going to do, back out? You know, we're kids. We don't know any better. We're like, I guess this is just normal. This is what people do. And yeah, this guy takes my blood right there at my kitchen table with all my buddies there and stuffs my little vial of blood into his briefcase and walks out the door with it.

What are we going to do, back out? You know, we're kids. We don't know any better. We're like, I guess this is just normal. This is what people do. And yeah, this guy takes my blood right there at my kitchen table with all my buddies there and stuffs my little vial of blood into his briefcase and walks out the door with it.

And I guess I just kind of trusted that, you know, a proper test is going to be done and I can trust these results.

And I guess I just kind of trusted that, you know, a proper test is going to be done and I can trust these results.

And I still remember where I was at when this phone call went down. I was on my way home from work and I pulled over in a random grocery store parking lot.

And I still remember where I was at when this phone call went down. I was on my way home from work and I pulled over in a random grocery store parking lot.

And I remember thinking it was a little bit odd that they were kind of like, oh, we have the results. We got them here. Oh, yeah, it was positive. It's a match.

And I remember thinking it was a little bit odd that they were kind of like, oh, we have the results. We got them here. Oh, yeah, it was positive. It's a match.

I remember just wanting to get, like, something official. Show me some paperwork. Show me something. Let me see proof. Not just some random guy on the phone telling me that I'm the father. I don't know who this guy is. Who's telling me this?

I remember just wanting to get, like, something official. Show me some paperwork. Show me something. Let me see proof. Not just some random guy on the phone telling me that I'm the father. I don't know who this guy is. Who's telling me this?

And yeah, at the very bottom, it just says 99.97% match. And I'm like, all right, well, hey, that seems pretty official.

And yeah, at the very bottom, it just says 99.97% match. And I'm like, all right, well, hey, that seems pretty official.

As soon as I saw those test results, it was like a line in the sand immediately. Right then and there, things just changed. My priorities changed, my perspective, my outlook on things changed. Everything I did was now geared towards building a life and building a future for this child.

As soon as I saw those test results, it was like a line in the sand immediately. Right then and there, things just changed. My priorities changed, my perspective, my outlook on things changed. Everything I did was now geared towards building a life and building a future for this child.

I'm like, all right, I guess Christmas is the time I'm going to introduce her to the whole family. So bring her to my family Christmas with probably 30 family members that have never heard of her, never had any knowledge of her existence. My family's super Christian and just this isn't like the traditional way of doing things. So it was difficult for sure.