Two Men Stay Best Friends Over Six Decades Before DNA Test Reveals They’re Brothers By Blood

May 19, 2021

Friends are the family that you choose for yourself. You get to pick who you surround yourself with and who you want to be able to spend time with and grow from. From learning valuable life lessons and having someone by your side when you make mistakes and need some advice, friendships can be full of wonderful surprises.

These friendships can blossom into deeper relationships so much that your friends begin to feel like your own brothers and sisters. According to Mayo Clinic, this type of relationship can help improve your overall health and enrich your life and increase your sense of purpose and belonging. For two friends in Hawaii, they received the gift of a lifetime when they discovered that their longtime friendship was actually a real-life brotherhood.

Alan Robinson and Walter Macfarlane from Oahu, Hawaii, were friends for more than 60 years before learning that they were actually brothers. They had shared a lifetime of friendship with one another as they had been friends since they were in elementary school. After that amount of time, it only made sense that their bond was completely unbreakable, but the two never expected to be related to one another.

Despite sharing similar interests and even looking alike, Robin and Macfarlane had no idea that their longtime friendship was actually the product of real brotherhood. After having a celebration with their loved ones to announce the unbelievable news, the two men went to media outlets near Christmastime in December 2017 to share their story with others.

A Lifetime Of Friendship

Robinson and Macfarlane had been friends since they were in the sixth grade, according to the Washington Post. During an interview with KHON 2, Macfarlane explained how they met at a party, which was a rare chance since he never really went to parties.

Robinson and Macfarlane met when they were young and went on to play football together at the Punahou School. One of the school’s most famous and successful alumni is former United States president Barack Obama. The two men shared similar interests and even looked alike growing up, according to the Washington Post. “We love to play cribbage,” Macfarlane said. “I beat him the last time we played,” Robinson jokingly added.

The Washington Post reported that as more people have become interested in learning more about their genetic makeup and ancestry, the price of recreational DNA testing kits and services have dropped, ultimately making it possible for even more people to learn about their backgrounds. These testing results can help people find out more about their own family tree, and can even reveal some shocking surprises about distant or unknown relatives.

The Washington Post reported that, in December 2017, the two men each took a DNA test and found out they were brothers as they shared the same biological mother. They were completely blown away when they realized they were related. “It never crossed my mind,” Robinson said. “That’s what’s really amazing.” Even though the news was a total surprise for the two friends, it made sense as their bond over the years had stayed so strong. “This guy was like an older brother all along,” Robinson added.

KOHN 2 reported that Robinson was adopted by a family, while Macfarlane never knew his father. “I had a younger brother that I lost when he was 19, so I never had nieces or nephews,” Robinson said. “I thought, ‘I’ll never know my birth mother, I’ll never have any nieces or nephews.’”

After conducting his own research and finding no clues on social media, Macfarlane failed to develop an idea of who his biological family was. He turned to Ancestry.com, a service that offered help with finding one’s genetic relatives, and found he had a lot in common with one particular user. That user just so happened to be his best friend Robinson, who had also used the site to learn more about his own family. After talking about their findings, the two men discovered that they shared the same birth mother. 

“It was a shock,” Macfarlane said. Robinson agreed and said, “It was an overwhelming experience, and it’s still overwhelming. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get over this feeling.” KHON 2 reported that the two friends-turned-brothers are planning to travel and enjoy retirement together. “This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having,” Robinson said. 

After being friends for more than six decades, Robinson and Macfarlane received the best Christmas present they could have ever asked for when they found out they were related. The brothers have always been close and plan on spending even more time together moving forward now that they know their bond is completely unbreakable.

What did you think about this heartwarming surprise? Do you have any similar stories? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your family and friends to hear their thoughts, too!