Christie Werts, an Ohio-based mother and author, always felt like an outsider in her own family. Growing up with a rocky upbringing marked by her parents’ addiction and subsequent foster care experience, Werts was acutely aware of her differences. Not only was she more sensitive than her relatives, but her lighter skin tone and distinct features set her apart in her predominantly Mexican family. For years, she questioned her heritage, a nagging feeling exacerbated by her father’s constant reminders of her otherness. At 50, driven by a desire to understand her family dynamics and fueled by her father’s exclusion of her from his will, Werts took a 23andMe DNA test, hoping to uncover some missing pieces of her identity puzzle. The results, however, were far more profound and shocking than she could have ever imagined, unveiling a lifelong deception that shattered her understanding of her past and reshaped her future.
A Lifelong Question Mark: The Seeds of Doubt
From childhood playgrounds to family gatherings, Werts’ distinct appearance made her feel like an anomaly. Her father, who she now knows was not her biological parent, often faced suspicion and even had the police called on him due to their contrasting appearances. “I just grew up in a very Mexican family and I was like the random White kid,” Werts shared exclusively with PEOPLE. The feeling of not belonging, coupled with a challenging upbringing, solidified her resistance to adoption later in life, a direct response to the trauma of her own foster care experience.
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Werts’ life took an unexpected turn when her husband’s ex-wife tragically passed away shortly after giving birth to a son, Levi. Despite her past reservations about adoption, Werts’ empathy for the infant overwhelmed her, leading her and her husband to officially adopt Levi just before his second birthday. This act of love and compassion, documented in Werts’ viral TikToks and her book, “Life’s Sad Story, God’s Love Story: Transforming a Child’s Adversity into a Tale of Love,” highlighted her resilience and capacity for healing.
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Unraveling the Truth: A DNA Test and a Shocking Revelation
The death of Werts’ father in March 2024 triggered a wave of complex emotions. While she grieved his passing, she also wrestled with the years of strained relationship and his final act of excluding her from his will. This prompted her to seek answers through a DNA test, initially motivated by curiosity about her paternal lineage. The 23andMe results revealed a bombshell: she had zero Mexican ancestry. Instead, her heritage traced back to Italy, Britain, and France. This discovery contradicted her lifelong understanding of her identity and raised serious questions about her parentage. A subsequent Ancestry DNA test confirmed the devastating truth: the man who raised her was not her biological father.
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Confronting the Past, Embracing the Future: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Armed with this life-altering information, Werts contacted her biological father, who had been living his life completely unaware of her existence. He revealed that he had a brief encounter with Werts’ mother in 1973, a one-night stand that resulted in her conception. He had been married for 50 years and had children a decade after Werts was born. The revelation has been emotionally challenging for both Werts and her biological father, forcing them to grapple with the complexities of a past that could have been.
Werts describes the experience as a whirlwind of conflicting emotions: validation in finally understanding her differences, sadness for the life she could have had, and grief for the loss of her perceived cultural identity. Despite the emotional turmoil, she finds solace in the newfound connection with her biological father, sharing common traits and a sense of belonging she never experienced before.
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A Story of Resilience, Acceptance, and the Unbreakable Bonds of Family
Werts’ journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of self-discovery. While the revelation of her true parentage has unearthed painful truths and complex emotions, it has also provided a sense of closure and a deeper understanding of her own identity. This unexpected turn of events has not only rewritten her personal history but has also strengthened her resolve to embrace her future with renewed purpose and a profound appreciation for the unexpected twists and turns that life can take. Werts’ story reminds us that family is not always defined by blood but by the connections we forge, the love we share, and the unwavering support we offer one another.
