Emily (Joey) Grimes's Story

I was adopted at the age of 10 months (but the adoption wasn’t finalized until I was 2 1/2). Once it was finalized, I never saw my biological family again during my childhood. During Christmas when I was 17, I got an Ancestry DNA kit and I did it. A few months later, right before my 18th birthday, I got matched with someone whose profile said they were a full sibling.

Now before I continue, I must disclose that I’ve known that I was adopted. My adoptive parents never kept that from me. They were told I had 2 siblings (that’s all the courts knew about, as my birth mom has multiple kids under multiple names).

Turns out I have the following: 1 full sister (the first match), 3 3/4 siblings (2 sisters and 1 brother) (their birth mom and mine are half siblings, and their bio dad and mine are identical twins), and 13 half siblings (8 sisters and 5 brothers), which include 4 sets of twins, a set of sextuplets, and a single sister.

I’m only in contact with my full sister, my 3/4 brother, one of the sextuplets (was in contact with two, but one did bad stuff to where they were no longer a safe person), and the single birth sister. I have only met the full sister and the 3/4 brother in person, along with my bio mom and bio stepdad/3/4’s dad (they got married in 2010).

I plan on meeting more of my bio family, including my great aunt, two of my bio mom’s siblings, my half sister and newborn niece, my brother and his family, for my birthday and wedding this summer. I am a transgender person (female to male), and my bio family is very accepting of this.

(Picture is of me with a pink Mohawk with my fiancé)