infant holding finger of adult hand
Jade Small
Jade Small
January 18, 2024 ·  4 min read

Wife Who Was Faithful To Husband Gave Birth To Another Man’s Kid By Accident

With the rise of social media, people have started posting stories about the results they have received from doing a DNA test. Most people are doing these tests to find something out about their heritage, but others are doing it to find out something about their more recent relatives. There have been shocking realizations that many people have to face, like realizing their parents are not their biological parents, or in this case, their child’s father is not really their father, but actually another man!

The couple had struggled to have children

Our story today is of a couple based in Salt Lake City in Utah, named Donna and Vanner Johnson. They decided to do a DNA test to do as a fun activity with the kids.

Vanner said, “We were curious about ourselves and the DNA and what genes you inherit from your parents – we thought it would be fun to see the boys see that.’  They bought the DNA test kit online, and they sent off their samples. When the results came through, they received the shock of their lives. 

Donna Johnson about to give birth
Image Credit: Johnson family | TODAY Parents

Donna and Vanner wanted to have more than one child. They were lucky with their first son, who was born naturally, but when it came to having a second child, like many couples, they found it hard to conceive the traditional way, so they turned to IVF treatments to help them along with the process. This was because Vanner had a few hernia surgeries that rendered him unable to fertilize eggs the natural way.

When Tim was born, they were so happy to have him join their family. Donna mentioned that he was a lot more cranky than her other son, but that did not matter. She had also noted that their personalities and temperaments were different, but that is not abnormal amongst siblings. Most parents wouldn’t question the heritage of their children, especially ones who have been conceived through IVF

Read: My Dad Wants Me To Be A Surrogate For Him And His New Wife – I Feel Nauseous’

Shocking DNA Results

Donna and Vanner received the results, and they gave them a look-through so they could show their kids where their lineage is from, in the hopes they might be inspired by it. What they ended up discovering is that their youngest son is not actually biologically related to his father! 

The Johnson family: Tim is the little brother.
Image Credit: Johnson family | TODAY Parents

In a normal situation, this might be a case of anger and betrayal, because Donna would have most likely been unfaithful.  However, Vanner had no reason to question her fidelity because Tim had been conceived with IVF. This means the IVF company they were working with had made a very grave mistake! Donna recalls when they were in the clinic.

She told TODAY, “and they said they’d have a carrier bring Vanner’s sperm to the lab.” But whoever brought in his sperm, must’ve brought the wrong one, because they used another man’s sperm to fertilize the embryo that Tim was conceived with.

You can only imagine the trauma this might cause for such a young boy, who Is now realizing his father is not really his father. You might imagine him growing up tormented by the idea, and living with a fear of other kids finding out – and kids can be brutal. 

Read: Mom Who Struggled with Infertility Shares Her Roller Coaster Story

Vanner Johnson and son
Image Credit: Johnson family | TODAY Parents

Vanner Took Tim Out for Ice Cream 

This family had the rug pulled out from underneath them. What went from a fun family activity to get to know their heritage, turned out to be a traumatic realization for both Donna and Vanner. “We were so shocked, and honestly didn’t know what to do, we just kept thinking, ‘What is happening to our family? Is our son legally our son? We didn’t know for sure, and we were worried.” Donna told TODAY.

Because it was Vanner’s sperm that was mixed up, he felt that he should speak to time personally. He took him out for a father and son chat over some ice cream. Vanner told TODAY’s what Tim’s reaction was to the news. 

“Right away, one of the things he said was. ‘The only thing I wish is that I knew what I would look like with your genes,'” recalled Vanner, “And he said that whatever happens, I’m still his dad. And I said, ‘Yeah, I am. I will always be your dad.'”

Keep Reading: 59-Year-Old Mom Gives Birth to Twins While Oldest Daughter Is ‘Disgusted by Her Decision’