DNA Testing and Children

How many times do you interact with a client and just wish they were all like that.  Providing private DNA tests to the community has truly opened my eyes to the world and to the different kinds of people. 

Children of about 4 - 8 years old are particularly fun.  They are somewhat aware that the DNA test has something to do with them and their parents - but they don't grasp the full concept or levity in the situation.

One little boy recently just made my whole day worthwhile.  It was in June in New Jersey and we were either having rainy days or hot, humid days.  Either way going out on a mobile DNA collection in any of that weather was not something I was looking forward to doing that day.  First, establishing that we could use a local social service office to meet and do the collection, then finding parking close to the facility as the area was not one of the best New Jersey has to offer and then getting through the paperwork - I would rather have spent the day in an air conditioned office making phone calls to the gate keepers in doctors and lawyers offices.    You get it.

But, the little guy in the test made my day.  He was about 4 - 5 years old, he was being tested in order that his mother (beneficiary) could be sponsored by him a little 5 year old boy and his older brother and brought to the United States through a family Visa.  He was too young to fully understand how important he was on this day.  As I said, it was probably 80 degrees out and humid as possible.  The little came guy came bouncing into the facility with his dad and sat right down next to me.  He was neatly dressed, his hair all brushed, shoes polished and just a bubbly bunch of energy.  He was also very polite and talkative, a clean slate of open eyed trust and faith.  He had on very cute pin striped pants and couldn't  have been more proud of himself that day because he dressed himself. 

The facility we were using didn't have the best of air conditioning so I was showing signs of feeling the heat, a little runny make-up, a bit of friz in my hair and that clammy feeling.  But my little DNA participant didn't feel a thing.  He had dressed himself to the nines that day and I don't think that his Dad took a good look at him before leaving the house.  My little DNA guy, in 80 degrees and probably 80% humidity had on his Blue Winter Coat with the Big Red Race Car on the front that you couldn't miss as he sat down next to me to tell me all about the car. And underneath, his warm snuggly Big Red Race Car jacket, he has put on two of his favorite yellow T-Shirts - which may have had something to do with sports again but I was too dazzled by his Blue Winter Coat to hear him say what sports the Two T-Shirts underneath his Blue Winter Jacket represented.  You see he did know there was something important about him today, more so than other days and so he had dressed for the event.  All through the DNA test, he talked about the Red Race Car, not the least interested in what a really important thing he was doing that day and I can tell you for two days I smiled about this little guy and his Blue Winter Jacket with Red Racing Car.  Just for the record, his big brother was just as sweet and polite but he didn't have a Red Racing Car jacket. 

You see DNA Tests are not always about "whose the daddy" - DNA tests offer so much more to our community besides just a simple Paternity Test. 

Sometimes, it is the little things that can make it all worthwhile.