In life, many people may be curious to find out about their ancestry, long-lost relatives, and much more.
And this time is no different as two sisters who were put up for adoption 75 years ago reunited in an emotional and heartwarming moment.
How One Man Put Both His Daughters Up for Adoption
At the end of World War II, Annie IJpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry, who share the same father, were put up for adoption.
In 1946, Fry was adopted as an infant by a family in the UK and was unaware of her birth parents’ origins.
IJpelaar, who was born a few months after Fry, resides in the Netherlands and also adopted in the UK.
However, she was aware that she had a sister out there but didn’t know how to contact or locate her.
How the Search for the Siblings Came About
IJpelaar and Fry, who are half-sisters, were discovered and brought together by Fry’s daughter-in-law and IJpelaar’s son after they decided to figure out who their distant relatives were, using MyHeritage DNA test kits.
After the tests provided the miraculous results, Karen, Fry’s daughter-in-law, received a message from IJpelaar’s son, Marc, and both the sisters did the DNA test to confirm their relationship.
And it led them to an extraordinary meeting.
Their father was said to be a Canadian soldier who helped liberate the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in Europe and returned home after the war.
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The lookout for Fry’s birth father had been fruitless for eight years. As a result, the family thought they had reached a roadblock.
In the Netherlands, IJpelaar was also trying to piece her family history after learning her stepfather was not her biological father.
After overhearing relatives’ discussions and looking through family documents, she heard the truth.
After further verifying the DNA test results, IJpelaar’s son Marc scheduled a video call for them in May 2022.
The Sweet Reunion and Beginning of a Lasting Relationship
Marc revealed the sisters had an “amazing” chat with one another.
He also said they resembled a whole lot. “They look the same; they have the same hobbies. It was amazing.”
Then an in-person meeting was scheduled in Holland so they could see each other in the flesh. And in true sisterly fashion, they had chosen to wear similar-looking blue dresses for the meetup.
“As soon as they saw each other, and despite the language barrier, they acted as if they had known each other all their lives,” Karen said.
Following their meeting last year, Fry noted that it felt like she was “looking in the mirror and talking to myself. It was amazing.”
“We have the same hobbies and the same medical complaints — it is very strange,” she added.
Elsewhere, Karen has said that the families have been in “regular contact,” and she feels honored to have had the “privilege of helping them close a circle after so many years.”
The sisters’ reunion proves to be a charming and uplifting story of the testament of reconnection, no matter the distance or time it takes to get there.
