A woman who spent most of her life questioning her paternity has finally been reunited with her biological father, thanks to a DNA test and the help of a volunteer search angel. Larecia Buford, formerly Larecia Whitehead, discovered that the man her mother had always claimed was her father was not related to her at all.
From the age of 15, Buford had suspicions. A schoolmate introduced her to the man she believed to be her father, but they looked nothing alike, and he also doubted he was her parent. At 31, Buford tracked him down again and requested a DNA test. The results confirmed zero percent chance of paternity.
Determined to find the truth, Buford turned to online DNA testing. After no close matches, a friend connected her with a volunteer search angel who specialises in reuniting families with lost relatives. Within 21 days, her biological father was identified. He instantly recognised a photograph of her mother, and DNA tests confirmed the match.
The reunion was particularly meaningful for her father, who had raised a son that turned out not to be his own. Buford, now 35, moved in with him, describing him as more than a father but also a best friend. She intends to write a book to encourage other teenagers with missing parents to seek out their families without delay.
