By Suleiman Mbatiah
A 26-year-old woman from the United States has launched an online appeal to trace her biological father, a Kenyan man she has not seen or heard from since infancy.
Crystal Oskovich, who was born on January 6, 1999, in Madera, California said she has spent years trying to piece together the identity of her father, known to her only as Tom. His surname remains unclear, although her late grandfather once suggested it may have begun with the letter “W”.
In a Facebook post that has since attracted wide attention, Crystal said her father was a Kenyan information technology professional who met her mother, Wendelyn Oskovich, while on a business trip to California in the late 1990s. She said he later became her mother’s sperm donor.
“The only things I have from him are a tambourine he left me and a few photographs,” she wrote.
Crystal said she has tried DNA tracing services, including 23andMe, without success. However, the results showed she is 50 percent Kenyan, with ancestral roots traced to Nairobi. 23andMe offers DNA testing with the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown, personalized health insights and more.
Her search has been complicated by the death of her mother in 2006 and the loss or estrangement of close relatives who might have provided more information.
“I haven’t had contact with my biological father since I was a baby,” she said. “He was discouraged from keeping in touch with me by my mother and her parents. He sent baby clothes for a while until he was asked not to.”
Crystal estimates that her father is likely in his mid-60s or older, based on her mother’s age had she still been alive.
Despite the limited information, she remains determined to find him and says she plans to widen her search by using other DNA databases, including Ancestry, MyHeritage and GEDmatch.
“I want to piece together this part of my story and, if possible, finally connect with him,” she said.
Her appeal has drawn support from Kenyan social media users, some of whom have offered advice on genealogy searches and suggested she could have relatives in different parts of the country. Others have shared her post in the hope it may reach someone who recognizes the details of her story.