Wadsworth nurse discovers father through DNA test

WADSWORTH — "I drove past his house most days for the past 13 years without ever knowing he was even there," Wadsworth resident and Akron Children's Hospital nurse practitioner Tiffany Leonard said. "It's overwhelming to think about that, what kind of connections are out there you don't even know about." This mysterious connection turned out to be the biological father she never knew, and at the age of 50 in 2019, Leonard said she met her biological father for the first time. Before submitting her DNA to California-based biotech company 23andMe the previous year, she didn't know the Akron resident existed or lived roughly 15 minutes away. When Leonard was 8 years old and growing up in Doylestown, her mother's mental illness led to the man she believed to be her biological father becoming her lone guardian. He continued to fill that role for Leonard and her three siblings until he died roughly 10 years ago. Her mother also is no longer living. Even during her adolescent years, Leonard said conversations arose that called paternity into question. "We had talks where he would just tell me he wasn't sure if I was his," she said. "It wasn't told to me in a hostile or disrespectful way. He was just honest about it. He was a good father to us and always took care of our needs." While Leonard and her biological father have enjoyed a mutually enthusiastic reunion since their first face-to-face meeting in June 2019, her father's name and likeness have been left out of this article at the family's request. "I was kind of blown off my feet when I really began taking all of this in," she said. "Even though it was mentioned in the past, I never gave much thought to it. My daughter and I spoke about it at various points in time, but I had simply not thought about it in so long. My daughter kind of helped get the ball rolling with all of this, too. I don't think I slept for five days after finding out about him." Leonard took the 23andMe test in 2018, suspecting she may have Irish heritage before a family trip to Ireland. Results showing numerous first and second cousins began to trickle in soon thereafter. "I got the results two years ago and never really looked at it again," Leonard said. "My husband said he wanted to see if I could share in this Irish joy he has in his family. He scrolled through it and said all these cousins were showing up. I only knew about two cousins." "It kept coming back to the same family that I was cousins with," she added. "I started reaching out to them and one girl in particular got back to me. We talked more and more. This would be my second cousin. She told me she has six great-uncles, all around the same age." A picture of Leonard's mother was distributed to those six great uncles. One called her the following Monday. "He said, 'I'm your dad,'" she said. "I never imagined it would happen like this. I drove past his house all those times and now I just stop there on the way home from work. He's been really open to this. He said, 'Let's get to know each other,' immediately. It's been great." During Leonard's elementary school years in Stark County and as a student at Jackson High School near Massillon, she said she unknowingly attended the same buildings as her half-sister. "We never even had any sort of casual interaction," said Leonard. "We never crossed paths once. I was in second grade and she would have been in fourth grade. We have the same dad. It's just been a pretty crazy situation but it's a nice story." After learning of her father and the full scope of her family links, Leonard contacted 23andMe to walk them through the entire story. It didn't take long for the company to respond with words of encouragement. Leonard offered advice for others on the verge of meeting family members for the first time. "Be prepared for anything," she said. "It can go really well or really poorly, so you have to be mentally prepared for either outcome. I feel very lucky. My father and every member of this new family have opened their arms. It's gone through his family like wildfire. I've gotten so many calls from them welcoming me. "I was worried about not reaching out and having regrets. Then I was worried he might have passed away. That would have been terrible to find out, but that didn't happen. It's been the best possible outcome for me, and I'm thankful for that. Always listen to how someone feels about the situation individually, though. Everyone has had different experiences." Face-to-face visits at least once a week, constant texts, and regular FaceTime sessions have become staples for Leonard and her father. The pair have even adjusted to needed COVID-19 safety measures. "We just talk about anything and everything," she said. "It's outdoor visits right now, with COVID, to be safe about everything. We just always find ways to communicate. He's a real character and we talk about a lot of nonsense. We have a lot of catching up to do." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.