A simple £27 DNA test purchased during a Black Friday sale has transformed lives by revealing a decades-old family secret and reuniting relatives from opposite sides of the world.
The feeling of not belonging
Christina Buckler from Bristol had always felt slightly out of place within her family. Growing up, she noticed she tanned much more easily than other family members, and her mother would occasionally make cryptic remarks about her being "the sailor's, not the milkman's" child. These comments were treated as family jokes, and Christina never investigated them seriously.
The life-changing DNA revelation
Decades later, during a Black Friday sale, Christina purchased a MyHeritage DNA kit for just £27, mainly out of curiosity about her ancestry. When the results arrived, they explained everything that had never made sense about her childhood. The family joke wasn't a joke at all - her biological father wasn't the man who raised her, but rather a Marine Commando named Ray.
The discoveries continued as the test revealed seven half-siblings and traced her ancestry back to William the Conqueror. For the first time in her life, Christina understood why she had always felt different - she did belong somewhere, just not where she had always assumed.
An Australian connection
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Cannonvale, Australia, Alison Spence had been searching for her birth mother for years. Adopted as an infant, she had experienced a mixture of hope and frustration in her quest. Just days before her MyHeritage subscription was due to expire, she received the alert she had been desperately waiting for - a match with a first cousin.
"I was at my wits' end and ready to give up," Alison admitted. "When I got that match - and then her message - I was completely blown away."
The emotional family reunion
The connection between the two women was immediate. Messages quickly turned into phone calls, which evolved into emotional late-night conversations. As Christina examined Alison's details more closely, she realised the dates and adoption information aligned perfectly. Alison was actually the daughter of Christina's beloved Auntie Madeleine, who had been forced to give up a baby under painful circumstances more than 50 years earlier.
Breaking the news to her 80-year-old aunt, who was in poor health, proved to be an intensely emotional moment. Decades of unanswered questions were suddenly replaced with relief and happiness. Madeleine, who had carried this quiet heartbreak for over half a century, was reportedly "over the moon" with the discovery.
When Alison finally met her biological mother face-to-face, she was astonished by their physical resemblance - seeing a familiar face she never knew she shared.
"MyHeritage brought us together and helped us find a belonging we didn't realise we were missing," both women agreed.
The same Black Friday deal that started Christina's journey of discovery is available again, allowing others to explore their own heritage for just £27 - representing a substantial 67% discount on the regular price.
