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Like millions of Americans, David Berry was curious about his genealogy. He wanted to learn more about his paternal grandfather, whose ancestry was British. But as he explored his father’s side of the family, he discovered something wholly unexpected: The man he thought was his father was not related to him at all.
His DNA test results from Ancestry.com offered two additional surprises: Mr. Berry, 37, was more than 50 percent Jewish, and he had a cousin or a half-sibling who was unknown to him.
So Mr. Berry, who grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and now lives in Miami, began searching for his biological father. His parents revealed that their doctor had found them an anonymous sperm donor. Could he find him?
Over the next three years, Mr. Berry learned that he had at least 10 half brothers and sisters through the same donor. He reached out and met some of them, including Morgan Hellquist, 36, who lives in the Rochester area.
Last May, he finally discovered his biological father’s identity. The man was not an anonymous sperm donor after...