A father-of-two has taken to social media to ask for advice after he learned he was biologically related to his wife.
The man - who explains that he was "put up for adoption before [he] was born" - explained how his relationship has been shattered after routine health checks revealed that he and the mother of his children were potentially brother and sister.
Taking to Reddit's TIFU [Today I F***ed Up] forum, the man (posting under the "throwaway" account of 'u/throwway_wifeismyhs'), explained that he decided to get tested after it was revealed that his wife of six years needed a kidney donor.
"My wife got sick just after our son was born and now is in need of a kidney transplant," he writes. "We checked with her relatives and none were a match or a viable donor."
Despite knowing it would be a long shot, the dad-of-two soon received a call from the hospital that he was a match. However, he explains: "The doctor then said something about wanting to do additional testing due to some information from the HLA tissue test results. I didn't think much of it and agreed.
"Then the results came in I was shocked and confused. He explained that because of how DNA information is passed down through generations a parent to a child could have at least a 50% match. Siblings could have a 0-100% match. It was rare to have a high match as husband and wife. I asked what does that mean."
The doctor then told the man that he and his wife had an "abnormally high match percentage". He later explained: "This basically confirms one of my bio parents is one of hers." (Other options were that they could be first cousins or uncle and niece.)
Stressing that he was "not kidding", he revealed that he and his wife are biologically related.
Sharing more details about his childhood, the dad writes: "I was put up for adoption before I was born. Placed into a family that moved across the country. I knew I was adopted but we didn't have any [information] about my bio family. It was a closed adoption."
As a result, his adoptive parents are the ones listed on his birth certificate.
He then explained that he and his wife met eight years ago, and soon fell in love and he eventually moved closer to her.
Sharing further details, he adds that he is two years older than his wife and none of her family were matches for a kidney donation.
The father eventually says: "I don't know what to do moving forward but I know it may be wrong. She is my wife and the mother of our kids."
But after receiving advice from fellow Redditors, the father concluded in an update: "I am donating my kidney to my wife. We have started the full process. That takes time and a lot of preparation.
"I plan on talking to my wife after the surgery and after recovery. We will decide what to do with our kids. If we are going to get them tested or ever tell them. I will not be leaving my wife. I love and will always be there for her. I made vows and I will keep them. I love her more than I would a half-sister."
Thankfully, social media users were respectful and sympathetic to the man's situation, with one person commenting: "This might be an unpopular opinion... But they already have kids, he and his wife didn't grow up together... I would tell my wife, quietly have genetic testing done to make sure the kids were healthy, get a vasectomy to prevent more bio kids - and then never tell anyone.
"I realize some people wouldn't be able to get past it but that would be so f***ing heartbreaking to lose the love of your life like that".
A second added: "This is a very hard story, but the universe is funny sometimes. He was exactly where he needed to be to save her life, and his kidney is the absolute perfect kidney for her. Whatever happens to them, I hope they're okay."
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