A family of four took DNA tests "for fun" hoping to learn more about their heritage.
But they could never have predicted that the results would bring a bombshell revelation that their youngest son was, in fact, a stranger's.
Donna Johnson, 47, and her husband Vanner, 47, took the tests along with their two boys Vanner Jr, 18, and Tim, 12.
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Upon receiving the results, Donna was in disbelief. Writing in the US Sun, she explained: "Reading the DNA tests results online, I figured there had been a mistake."
The DNA tests indicated that the father of their eldest son was indeed Vanner, but the father of their youngest son, Tim, was unknown. Donna tried to wrap her head around what the results meant, when she had a moment of "sickening clarity".
It became clear to Donna that there must have been a mix-up at the IVF clinic, Mirror UK reports.
The couple, from Salt Lake City, Utah, met in high school and got married in 2003. They had their first son Vanner Jr and were excited to have another child.
After facing fertility challenges they turned to IVF for help. They had their first round of IVF in 2007, using Donna's eggs and Vanner's sperm.
They had a failed attempt and then successfully conceived Tim in 2008 which Donna says "felt like a miracle".
Although the boys had physical differences, Donna attributed it to typical sibling variations. Vanner Jr was described as having his dad's blue eyes and fair hair, while Tim had Donna's dark hair and was sportier.
The family decided to undergo home DNA testing to learn more about where they come from but it led to their lives changing forever.
Fear engulfed the family as they wondered about Tim's biological father and the possibility of losing him. Legal reassurances were provided, affirming Donna and Vanner as Tim's legal parents.
Coming to terms with the shocking news was difficult for Donna and Vanner. Donna says she experienced depression and struggled with her work as a teacher. They made the decision to tell Tim the truth when he turned 12, as they believed it would be easier to handle at a younger age.
In October 2020, Vanner took Tim out for ice cream and broke the news to him. When they got back, Donna hugged her youngest telling him how much they loved him.
Donna explained Tim reacted with "such maturity", expressing his love for his parents. He later expressed a desire to find his biological father.
Respecting Tim's wishes, Donna and Vanner embarked on a search, which led them to Devin McNeil, a man living in Colorado - eight hours away from the family. DNA tests confirmed that Devin was Tim's biological father, as well as the father of another child named Talon.
In March 2021 Donna and Vanner called him and while Devin, 47, had been sceptical, he had agreed to do a DNA test.
Donna said they talked on FaceTime with Devin and his wife Kelly, 46, which was "anxiety-inducing", but she said they were lovely and accepted that Donna and Vanner weren't asking them for anything.
The two couples agreed there would be no custody battle as they all thought of Vanner as Tim's dad. They just wanted to find out how this had happened and what to do next.
It turned out the couples had been at the same IVF clinic on the same day, 14 years prior. Donna had gone in for egg retrieval, while Kelly went for embryo implantation for her eldest son, Talon.
DNA tests confirmed Devin was Tim's dad, as well as Talon's, meaning the sperm samples hadn't been swapped, but instead Devin's had somehow been used for both.
The two families met in June 2021, with Donna saying it was "surreal" hugging a stranger she had "made a baby with" - but as Vanner Jr and Tim began to play with Devin and Kelly's kids, Talon, 15, Paxton, 10, and Londyn, eight, her anxiety eased.
Before they left, Vanner asked Tim if he'd like to get a photo with Devin - to which Tim replied he wanted both his dads in the picture, Donna recalled she nearly cried.
The families keep in touch with regular calls, texts and video chats and have met up several times since. They settled out of court with the clinic in 2022.
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