The Most Trusted Name in DNA Testing

Paternity testing may sometimes yield unexpected results and bring changing views on the meaning of fatherhood. A South Carolina court recently set a legal precedent by awarding a man custody over a child he has been parenting, even though a paternity test has shown that he was not the child’s biological father.

After years of fighting for custody in court, Kenneth Middleton has successfully proven that the relationship he has built with his son Joshua Hollington has formed a strong psychological bond, and that it would be detrimental to Joshua to have the father figure he has grown up with abruptly taken away. The Post and Courier reports on this story and Middleton’s response:

“I would recommend it for any father today,” Middleton said of his six-year fight that went as high as the S.C. Court of Appeals. “If you have standing in the child’s life and the child sees you as a parent, it’s worth it.”

This story highlights the complex nature of human relationships. Although it is important, for medical and other reasons, to know one’s biological heritage, the essence of fatherhood may ultimately be determined by the people involved, and is not strictly defined by DNA.