They say that friends are like your chosen family, but for two men who had been best friends for over 60 years, a DNA test revealed the stunning discovery that they are actually biological brothers.
At home DNA tests such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe have exposed a shocking amount of family secrets, including revealing the frightening level of incest in the USA.
But, for one pair of men who are best friends, a DNA-testing kit uncovered that they are actually related.
Alan Robinson and Walter Macfarlane are 15 months apart in age and grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. They became best friends in sixth grade at school, going on to play high school football together.
Their bond remained strong after finishing school and they were each respectively known as “uncle” by one another’s children.
One major aspect of their lives they both had in common was being adopted at a young age with neither knowing very much about their birth families.
Macfarlane, a retired maths and PE teacher, only knew that his birth mother had him young during World War II but was unable to raise him.
He was adopted by his grandmother, who raised him as his own, with his birth mother acting as his sister – a fact he only found out after finishing high school.
In 2016, Macfarlane’s daughter suggested he take a DNA test. The results revealed a match with enough DNA to be half siblings.
The person’s username was Robby737, which rang bells as Robinson’s nickname was Robby and he used to fly 737 aircraft.
After speaking on the phone, Robinson confirmed he was user Robby737 and that the friends of more than 60 years were half brothers sharing the same birth mother.
Robinson said: “It was an overwhelming experience, it’s still overwhelming. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get over this feeling.”
By Ellie Abraham / indy100