One day in Ottawa, Canada, a former Polish schoolboy got it into his head to investigate what his origins were. In 2001, Cezary Fudali was given a closely guarded secret from one of his family members. It referred to the town's position as a major rail junction point where the Polish and Russian railroads met. The destination of the Jews was to Debica and then to further killing camps from there. It is a possibility that this was the exact day that Cezary's grandmother and mother were at the train station.
If it was that horrible day, then Cezary's grandmother probably knew that this was her last chance to save cheap jerseys her child before they were both taken away and killed. After they agreed, she asked them also if they were Polish. After an initial hesitation, the couple, who had no children of their own, agreed to the adoption. When quizzed by the couple, the mother refused to tell them anything about herself or the baby in order to preserve the security of the child. What happened to the child's biological mother was never known either, but she probably met her end in one of the German concentration camps shortly after her departure from the train station.
Cezary and His Mother, 1974
Given cheap jerseys wholesale this history, and the timing of it, Cezary felt that his mother might indeed be Jewish and a hidden child as well. He read all he could as he wanted to know more about his mother and her situation. His inquiry focused on whether he could test for the identity of his mother's father to determine if he were Jewish. After discussing the matter with Cezary, he advised him to take the initial mtDNA test (HVR1) which would provide a close first glance at his maternal ancestry. The results proved that he matched with Ashkenazi Jews. As the tests got more complex, he came closer to knowing his true maternal origins. At that level, he found that he only matched with and clustered with Jews. This was a real accomplishment for the son of a hidden child, albeit a bittersweet one. He realized as well that things he had heard about hidden children were true, that they "stuck out like a sore thumb". This too he had heard about his own mother from her relative and now he knew why. Someone who might even know who his grandfather might have been and certainly someone who might recognize his mother's photo and see a resemblance with their family. This article is part of a special monthly series on DNA success stories. These stories offer family researchers encouragement and greater understanding of DNA testing, which has become a popular part of the genealogical research world since its inception. If you have had success with DNA testing, we would love to publish your story. Please email us by clicking here. To view past DNA Success Stories, please click here.
