'The missing piece of my life': DNA testing unites woman with family after decades-long search

LEHI — Kerri Robbins has been searching for her biological father since she was 15 years old. Now, at 65, she has found new family members who cheer her on as she battles Stage 4 nonsmoking lung cancer.

Robbins grew up in a blended family as the oldest of eight children. Though she had a large family, she yearned to know her biological father and understand where half of her genetics came from. She sought out her father throughout her life — even meeting a man who she thought was her father until genetic testing proved otherwise — but she wasn't able to find him until she completed a genetic ancestry test kit.

Robbins completed an AncestryDNA kit in December 2018 to learn more about her genealogy and possibly connect with relatives who might have done the same test. It wasn't until a year after she completed the test that she was notified a second cousin had also done the genetic testing and joined the platform. Robbins met her cousin, who then aided her in the search to find her father. She learned from her father's cousin that her paternal grandfather had changed his name to Jack Burns following his service in the Navy during World War I, making it difficult to map their family line. Learning her grandfather's name and finding Census data from 1940, she was able to finally learn her father's name: Ken Burns.

"If ​my ​cousin ​back ​in ​Illinois ​hadn't ​had ​the ​name ​(my grandfather) ​changed ​it ​to, ​I ​would ​have ​never ​been ​able ​to ​figure ​it ​out," said Robbins. "But ​just ​finding that ​one ​piece ​of ​the ​puzzle, it ​was ​amazing​ the ​weight ​that ​was ​lifted ​off ​my ​shoulders and ​the ​peace ​that ​it ​has ​given ​me ​to ​be ​able ​to ​fill ​in ​that ​missing ​piece ​of ​my ​life."

After finding this missing piece, Robbins was able to connect with multiple cousins, half-siblings and aunts she had never met.

While she did figure out who her father was, they never got a chance to meet because he died in 2002 from a rare form of blood cancer. Still, finding his family has helped Robbins get to know who he was through the eyes of those who loved him. Through them, she has also inherited special family heirlooms, including a family Bible and a photo album, some of the only physical reminders of her father she has.

These new relationships became a strength for her when she was later diagnosed with cancer.

In the summer of 2022, Robbins had been exercising at home when she became confused and disoriented, a moment that was later identified as a small seizure. Her family called paramedics, and after a series of doctor visits, she was diagnosed with stage 4 non-smoking lung cancer due to excessive levels of radon exposure. When she learned the cancer might be due to radon exposure, she tested the levels in her home — they measured at 31.3 picoCuries per liter, or the equivalent of smoking three packs of cigarettes a day.

While Robbins was learning to cope with her diagnosis, she said her relationship with her newly found cousin, Kim — a two-time survivor of breast cancer — has been a special source of support.

"(My family members) have ​just ​been ​huge ​supporters. ​Kim especially ​has, having ​been ​through ​it ​and ​knowing ​the ​highs ​and ​the ​lows ​and ​being ​scared, ​she's ​been ​able ​to ​help ​me ​with ​that. ​That's ​just ​been ​so ​wonderful. ​I ​might ​not ​have ​my ​dad, ​but ​I ​do ​have ​other ​families ​that ​are ​there ​to ​support ​me ​and ​love ​me, ​and ​that ​has ​just ​really ​been ​a ​lot."

Robbins expressed that while facing the reality of late-stage cancer and mourning a father she never knew, she finds comfort in her faith that they will be able to meet one day.

"​I ​might ​not ​know ​him ​right ​now, ​but ​I ​do ​know ​that ​I ​will ​know ​him ​in ​the ​future, ​and ​I ​can ​be ​content," she said. "​I've ​waited ​this ​long ​just ​to ​even ​know ​what ​his ​name ​is ​or ​to ​know ​what ​he ​looked ​like. ​​My ​time ​is ​shorter ​now ​that ​I ​have ​cancer, ​but ​I'm ​very ​much ​looking ​forward ​to ​meeting ​him."

Since her diagnosis, Robbins has become an advocate for UtahRadon.org, where she shares her cancer story to enhance community awareness of the dangers of high radon levels. Most recently, she spoke with lawmakers at the Capitol during the legislative session regarding a resolution to designate January as Radon Action and Awareness Month in Utah, aligning with national Radon Action and Awareness Month. Utahns can find more information on the risks of radon exposure or request radon test kits here.

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