A woman who was put up for adoption as an infant after her mother died of cancer has been reunited with the little sister she never knew existed, 55 years after they were adopted by different families.
Sisters Diane Ward, 58, and Mary McLaughlin, 55, were separated just months after Mary’s birth, but now the long-lost siblings are finally reunited.
Diane was put up for adoption at a young age, and due to a lack of records, she never knew much about her birth family.
She spent her childhood in Michigan, unbeknownst to her, growing up in a house a few blocks from her sister Mary and birth mother – who has since died of breast cancer.
The two lived minutes apart from each other for three years until Mary was also adopted.
During their childhood, both women were told by their adoptive parents that they had no siblings, but they longed to learn more about where they came from.
Sisters Diane Ward (left), 58, and Mary McLaughlin (right), 55, were separated just months after Mary’s birth, but now the long-lost siblings are finally reunited
Diane (pictured as a baby) was put up for adoption at a young age and due to a lack of records, she never knew much about her birth family
She spent her childhood in Michigan, unbeknownst to her, growing up in a home just a few blocks from her sister Mary (pictured as a baby) and birth mother
The two lived minutes apart from each other for three years until Mary was also adopted. Diane is pictured with her adoptive mother as a baby
Diane eventually moved to the UK in 1999 after marrying her husband Colin, 59, and Mary moved to Paragould, Arizona where she started a family of her own.
Curious about her roots and if she might still have family in the US, Diane decided to buy a MyHeritage DNA kit in December 2020 as an early Christmas present.
The $50 kit results came back a few months later, informing Diane that she may have a second cousin, who then messaged her online to find out more.
The cousin then dropped the bombshell, revealing that Diane has a half-sister she didn’t know about.
After much research, Diane was able to connect with Mary — and the two described the first time they spoke as “love at first sight.”
Mary currently resides in Arizona and due to COVID and remoteness – the couple haven’t been able to meet in person just yet but instead they spoke over Zoom for the first time.
Throughout their childhood, both women were told by their adoptive parents that they had no siblings. Diane (left) and Mary (right) are pictured as children
Curious about her roots and if she might still have family in the US, Diane decided to purchase a MyHeritage DNA kit in December 2020. She is pictured as a baby
The results came back a few months later, letting Diane know she had a second cousin, who then messaged her online to find out more. Diane (left) and Mary (right) are pictured as teenagers
And according to Diane, “they just clicked right away” and immediately noticed their similarities.
The cousin then dropped the bombshell: she revealed that Diane (pictured as a teenager) has a sister she didn’t know about
“It was love at first sight,” Diane gushed to Jam Press. “We just clicked and we hit each other straight away.
“It was like I found my other leg. When I first spoke to her via Zoom, it was just an incredible feeling.
“Her husband overheard me there and said we were very similar. He turned to her and said, “Yep, your sister is fine.” We both have a sarcastic, dark sense of humor.”
The sisters are now on the phone every day and plan to see each other in person for the first time next month. And Diane is still stunned by the discovery.
She said: “When I bought the kit I just thought it would be kind of cool to see, ‘What if I was a quarter German or had some Irish blood in me?’
After a lot of research, Diane was able to get in touch with Mary (pictured) – and the two described the first time they spoke as “love at first sight”.
Due to COVID, the two haven’t been able to meet in person just yet, but instead they spoke for the first time via Zoom, and Diane (left) said she and Mary (right) “just clicked straight away.”
Diane said she and Mary (pictured as a teenager) “both have a sarcastic, dark sense of humor” and she called it an “amazing feeling” to meet her sister
Next month Diane will make the 5,000 mile journey to Mary’s beach house in Arizona for a long awaited reunion and both sisters are over the moon. The picture shows Maria with her family
“I hadn’t told anyone about the making of the kit. It was just something that interested me and I didn’t see it as a big deal.
“The thing is, I didn’t even know about it [Mary’s] Existence. My mother had me when I was 18 and I was placed in an adoptive family.
“I only had her first name to go on, which was pretty common, so it was really difficult to go from there. But all my life I’ve always tried to find out more information.’
Next month Diane will make the 5,000 mile journey to Mary’s beach house in Arizona for a long awaited reunion and both sisters are over the moon.
“I’m just so grateful I bought the kit. I wouldn’t have known without it! I’m so excited to see Mary next month,” she added.
“We just go to the beach, get a tan and fix the world.”