“Shocking Diagnosis Forces Wealthy Father of Three to Confront Hidden Family Secrets”
The scientists also swabbed Chris’s cheek, lip, and tongue. The DNA in these areas was replaced by the donor’s as well. The DNA swapping was already accelerating faster than the forensic scientists had expected.
How Chris Transformed Into Another Person
The forensic scientists tracked Chris’s DNA samples over four years. Within months, swabs of his arms, legs, body, and face had been replaced by his donor’s DNA. Oddly, these findings fluctuated throughout the study. Some swabs contained both Chris’s and his donor’s DNA.
An even more surprising find was that Chris’s semen had its DNA replaced. By the end of the four years, every area of his body had new DNA except for his chest and head hair.
The Shock Of A Lifetime
These findings baffled the forensic scientists at the Washoe County sheriff’s office. No one expected Chris’s DNA to be entirely overtaken by his donor. As criminalist Darby Steinmetz said, “We were kind of shocked that Chris was no longer present at all.”
Chris was also shocked about the findings–but not to the point of despair. He told the New York Times, “I thought it was pretty incredible that I can disappear and someone else can appear.”
He Is A Real-Life Chimera
So what happened to Chris? The bone marrow transplant had made Chris a chimera–the scientific term for people with two sets of DNA. The term stems from the monster in Greek mythology that was a hybrid of three animals.
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