Before DNA testing, confirming your relationship meant chasing down birth certificates and other legal paper work for relationship confirmation. If the information was not complete, this sometimes meant starting the process over again…and again. Now providing evidence of a relationship for Immigration purposes is a great deal more manageable.

The Immigration DNA Testing process

The process involves making the DNA test a legal paternity test (or other relationship testing). This must be requested by the United States Embassy. Legal paternity testing includes having anyone living in the United States collected at a collection facility near their home, by a non interested third party. A client support professional will schedule the appointment based on the individuals time requirements, and will advise on what will be needed for the DNA test collection to help ensure the best possible experience. Those living overseas have their DNA test collection at the United States Embassy, or one of their affiliates.  The price for Immigration testing does include shipping supplies to, and from the Embassy as well as sending the results to the Embassy. Although we don’t have any control over how long the US Embassy takes to collect DNA for those overseas to complete the DNA testing, we will help make the process easier by walking you through what steps you should be taking prior to the collection to verify you have what you need beforehand. The samples are all sent to the laboratory for DNA testing. The United States Embassy requires strict criteria for DNA test results, which we supply to them. Here at Identigene we strive to do all we can to make the process as easy as possible.

The show’s home page is: http://thaliaradio.com/es/.

The following update is by Identigene Spanish Language Test Consultant Karen J.

Identigene on Thalia Radio

Thalía in her High Voltage Tour Los Angeles concert (Los Angeles, CA, USA, May 14, 2004).

First, a little background about Thalía; Thalía is a Mexican singer and former actress. She is known globally as “the queen of soaps” for being the biggest TV phenomenon in the decade of 90s. Thalía has the keys of more than 50 cities in the world, and has toured in five continents, making her one of the most internationally famous Latin singers ever. Thalía has received more than 2000 awards throughout her career for both singing and acting and is a multi-platinum singer. Thalía sold over 40 million records, with a career based on Hispanic language and reaching a high mark for a Latin artist.

Introduction

The show begins with host Thalía giving a brief explanation of the scientific advances in paternity testing and how Identigene’s paternity tests can provide peace of mind and show the biological link between fathers and children or any other relatives.

Interviews

Thalía begins by interviewing Edgar Gomez, an Identigene representative. She asks basic questions about the Identigene paternity test kit, the test, the samples collection and also Immigration cases. She was impressed by how accurate paternity testing can be, as we as how fast and easy the process is.

Introducing Lazaro’s story

Thalía and Edgar present the story of Lazaro. A man who’s life totally changed thanks to the Identigne paternity test. Lazaro came out of Cuba 17 years ago, and while in Cuba had a relationship with a young Cuban lady. Lazaro had been in the United States for two years when his mother told him that this woman had a baby and the baby was his. Lazaro was skeptical, but he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergone a prostate removal. The birth of this baby presented the opportunity for him to become a real father.

Lazaro described the moment when he received the report with a probability of paternity of 99.9% and his call to Cecilia, his daughter in Cuba, to give her the good news.

After congratulating Lazaro, Thalía shares the mission of her radio program, the focus on constructive stories of love and peace. Pausing, she introduces Lazaro’s daughter, Cecilia, on the other line from Cuba.

Cecilia is a little nervous to be on the radio with Thalía, but she is very happy. Cecilia and Lazaro say many times how much they love each other.
Thalía shares her excitement at being part of such a touching moment. Thanking them both, she asks Lazaro to encourage other fathers who still don’t know. Lazaro says: “I would like to say; allow yourself to be a father. Try it, don’t hesitate.”

Ending the program

Thalía ends the program by thanking Edgar, Lazaro, and Cecilia for sharing their story and asks to all fathers who are waiting to know if they are parents to remember Lazaro’s experience.

We were a blended family with 6 children, including 3 grown sons when we decided to adopt back in 2006. We found our first precious daughter in China, aged 3 years and brought her home in October 2006. We were totally in love.

In adopting we learned more of the Chinese culture and the difficulties the older orphaned children from China faced. So once again, we decided to add an older girl, our wonderful Chloe, aged 13 ½ years in Feb 2009. We had been blessed to receive grants to complete her adoption as she was our 8^thchild.

Little did I know when I headed to China to bring her home we were about to get a shock of our life. When receiving Chloe I was handed a police report about when she was found. It stated she was found with 2 other children and I knew this was not typical. So I asked, “who are these other children?”

My question was met with silence until our guide asked my new daughter and she said “my brothers.” Well, can you imagine my shock? My mind was racing- what? How? Why were we not told? Where these REALLY her brothers or just boys she was close to and called her brothers? So many questions.

Chloe with one brother (Chance) while still in China Jan 2009

We proceeded on with the adoption requirements for Chloe and gave word to the guide to inquire about the “brothers”, the many questions we had. We learned the boys were both at the orphanage, they were known to be a sibling group at the orphanage but when found, were not reported as siblings, therefore creating a legal difficulty in proving they were siblings now, so many years later.

We did not feel this was right, our daughter was so sweet and willing to come to us, we didn’t begin to understand how. How did she make peace with leaving them? Did the brothers know for her it was the chance for a family, so they accepted losing her forever? Did they look at the pictures we sent her over the months of waiting for her paperwork to be done, of our older grown sons and think we had enough boys, thus didn’t “want “ them?

We left word that we did want both these boys as we came home, being unable to bring them at her adoption time due to immigration laws. I told our new daughter, “we will come back for them, I promise.”

As soon as we were home, we were able to apply for the first brother, having been given information where his adoption file was. We received pre- approval and proceeded with our paperwork to meet requirements, we were again deeply blessed by the generous help of many adoptive families to make the fee requirements. Our concern was the other brother’s adoption. We did not meet the financial requirements and were over the “number of minor children in the home” for bringing both boys home and we had no official proof to claim the sibling bond of these children.

We KNEW these children had to grow up together. As Chloe, by this time was learning English she told us she never believed we really would go back for the boys. We could only imagine what the brothers in China were thinking as well. So as we realized that we needed proof of their relationship, as originally asked for in China, to aid in our quest to get these boys home.

But how? We didn’t have spare funds. I said a prayer and sent off an e-mail. This ended up bringing us to Identigene. We were so thankful when they contacted us with a “please LET us help!” It was just amazing to us, they sent kits, the tests were sent in and when the results came in just DAYS later, a phone call to Marilyn aided my shaking hands to the right page for the results. She “sat” with me, as I cried, could hardly speak, for there in front of me was answer this momma’s heart KNEW would be there. All 3 children- biological siblings. No doubts.

Chloe at home Jan 2010, not so patiently waiting to go get her brothers

Without this wonderful gift from Identigene we would not be able to say that as of today, we are just weeks away, with paperwork cleared for one brother and the other one’s paperwork on the way. These 3 children, who suffered being abandoned in China years ago, only had one another to count on, will be able to grow up together. We will travel to bring them home soon.

Brothers in August 2009 with cake we sent them (bigger brother is Chase, little one is Chance)

They will not go to bed hungry ever again once home and best of all, they all three will have a mom, dad, more siblings and a life filled with LOVE. Cherished as our sons and daughter, siblings forever more within our family.

We can only thank Identigene for the most precious gift anyone could be given, a future for not one, but TWO special orphan boys, now our sons.

“You can’t change the world by adopting an orphan, but for that orphan, you have changed THEIR world. “ Unknown