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Why Is Family Genealogy Important?
Generally, most people who become interested in family genealogy do so out of curiosity; if they are excited once
they start, it becomes a hobby. Like everything else, some individuals are interested in the ancestors and family
history; others are not.
Genetic Testing
Family genealogy can become of great interest and importance to patients or relatives of patients who suffer from
genetic diseases. A patient who presents with symptoms of disease may be asked for as much family history as
possible. In this case, one does not usually stop with their immediate family. Patients ask questions of their
parents, who have information about [their] siblings; they may also have information regarding [their] grandparents
and great-grandparents, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Knowing how, when, and where a person was born or died can answer many questions; there are city registries,
hospital records, immigration reports, and cemeteries, to name only a few resources. There are also software
options and resources for family genealogy searches on the Internet.
In at least some cases, people who have formerly been convicted of murder or involuntary manslaughter have been
able to prove that they did not, in fact, cause the death of one or more of their children or other people. With
the medical technology available today, evidence that was once thought to be infallible has shown repeatedly to be
imperfect. Not only have some people been wrongly accused of hurting children or adults with terminal, albeit
undiscovered, genetic diseases, family genealogy has been used for others who exploit the system in another
way.
Others claim to be “criminally insane,” or “not able to account for their actions,” due to a “rare [undisclosed]
genetic disorders.” While in most cases these claims cannot be proven, they are certainly presented at an alarming
rate. Probably one of the most useful reasons to trace a family’s genealogy is to rule out the possibility of
genetic diseases in unborn children. Knowing how many generations in a family have suffered from a particular
illness, or which generation last presented symptoms, helps prospective parents make educated choices about their
decision to give birth or adopt a child.
Since many genetic diseases are not fatal, many families choose to take their chances that they will give birth to
healthy child, even in instances were there is a 25 or 50 percent chance of passing on a genetic disorder. Even
with the child is born, it is important to keep an accurate family genealogy report in case future siblings or
cousins are interested in the health of their child or yours.
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