Man discovers long-lost brother at 27 thanks to home DNA test

The pair were reunited in person this month (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

A man who found out he had a brother after taking a home DNA test has met his sibling for the first time aged 27.

Rhys Williams was nine years old when his mother died and he was told by relatives the man raising him was not his biological father.

After the devastating news was revealed by cousins, Rhys continued to be raised by his stepdad. Once he turned 18, he tried to find out more about his long-lost family, but had no luck.

Then, Rhys used a DNA test for fun in January 2022 and uploaded his results to My Heritage, where he found out his birth dad had sadly passed away six years prior.

However, the results also allowed him to discover he had a long-lost brother – Chris Jones, 53.

The pair connected and began speaking on Zoom, before Chris drive two-and-a-half hours to surprise his newfound sibling this May.

Rhys was raised by his stepdad and didn’t know his brother existed (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

Rhys, a university lecturer from Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, said: ‘I had no idea Chris was going to surprise me, but now I look back there were so many clues.

‘I went from finding out “here is your biological dad” to finding out he had passed away and realising that nobody else will look like me.’

He describes seeing Chris in the flesh as ‘crazy,’ adding: ‘I know I will have a very good hairline in 20 or so years.’

Chris surprised his newfound sibling (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

Rhys continued: ‘This is someone who is flesh and blood – who looks like me.

‘It feels like another piece of the puzzle is filled in. The puzzle started as big question mark but it is getting filled in now. It feels like this is the time it was meant to be and now it has happened.’

While Rhys had been made aware his stepdad wasn’t his biological father, the DNA test confirmed he had family he had never known.

He first spotted a match with an auntie on MyHeritage, who put him in touch with his brother just six days later.

The pair’s father, Gwilym on the right, and their granddad on the left (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

Chris, meanwhile, was adopted as a child, and had no idea about his sibling.

The global logistics buyer, from Longcot, Oxfordshire, said: ‘I had always known I was adopted.

‘I grew up as an only child. I had very nice adopted parents and a good upbringing. But it would have been nice to do all this around 20 years ago.

‘It is nice. It is lovely how it has all happened now. I have never had a younger brother. It is a different experience.’

After being connected, the pair hit it off instantly (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

Rhys and Chris met virtually and hit it off instantly over Zoom. The brothers say they are a lot alike and share interests, physical traits – and even a rare eye injury suffered by their birth father.

‘A lot of things line up, the nose for example,’ commented Rhys.

‘Even things that aren’t genetic. We both like the same colour. We both love cats. We both decide to make impulse purchases.’

They both have similar traits to their dad, Gwilym (Picture: MyHeritage/SWNS)

As their relationship blossomed, Chris decided to head from Oxfordshire to Stoke-on-Trent and surprise his Rhys, who thought his brother had arranged for a videographer to arrive at his home to interview him about his story.

But to Rhys’ surprise, Chris turned up in his living room.

‘I drove up there and had to send the cameraman a secret message to tell him I was there,’ Chris explained.

‘I sent him a text saying “I am delivering your camera batteries” and then he came to the door and I went in the house to surprise Rhys. It was a lovely moment.’