Nine Crosses & Losses

For decades all that Zachary Ellis knew about his birth mother was her name: Hermalinda Parra Rodriguez. The American Fork resident had hunted for her for years without success. Then this January he tried a DNA test. “It was like, ‘what do I have to lose?’” said Ellis. “I’ve done everything, so I might as well give this a shot too.” The test connected Ellis with four siblings in Mexico, a sister in Arizona, and a second cousin in Utah. His newfound relatives helped him locate his birth mother, who he finally met last month. He’s planning a trip to Mexico to visit the rest of the family. My husband’s father was an orphan who never knew the names of either of his parents. For decades we’ve searched for them, trying to fill the huge gaps in our family tree. I suppose that’s why stories like this mean so much to me.