Full Siblings Placed for Adoption Find Each Other Thanks to MyHeritage DNA

MyHeritage users Vanesa and Emilio from Valencia, Spain, were adopted at birth and spent years searching for their biological families. Then, they took DNA tests through MyHeritage and discovered each other: full siblings!

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Here is Vanesa and Emilio’s story:

‘A gift that life has given me’

Vanesa was born on July 27, 1974 at the Valencian hospital Virgen del Consuelo. 3 days later, she was brought home by her adoptive parents, who had been waiting for her with much excitement.

Vanesa as a child. Photo colorized by MyHeritage

The new family lived in Castellon, where Vanesa still lives. She grew up with no knowledge of her origins — but with an inexplicable feeling that she had been adopted.

When Vanesa was 16 years old, her feeling was confirmed: her parents told her that she had been adopted, and according to Vanesa, her “whole life fell apart.”

Years later, when she gave birth to her eldest daughter, she was blown away by the strength of the biological family connection. “When I saw her face, I saw myself reflected in her,” says Vanesa. “I felt like she was a part of me and I a part of her, and I understood many things. I learned to love for real.”

Since the moment she learned she was adopted, she wanted to know who her biological family family was, and tried unsuccessfully to find them over the course of many years. Finally, she applied for a free MyHeritage DNA kit through our pro bono DNA Quest initiative to help adoptees connect with biological families.

Finally, at the end of September this year, something changed: a DNA Match came up on her list indicating a full sibling relationship with a brother named Emilio.

“A gift that life has given me,” says Vanesa.

Emilio searches for a sister

Emilio, like his sister, was born in the Valencian hospital Virgen del Consuelo in 1979.

Clínica Virgen del Consuelo, Valencia, the hospital where both siblings were born, circa 1970

When he was 13 years old, a nun, who he knew as an aunt, revealed that he had been adopted. He started searching in the hospital archives to see if he could learn who his birth parents were, but didn’t find anything. When he went back to his “aunt” to find out more, she told him that he would not find anything because the process was done well, and then told him that he was being ungrateful by wanting to know his origins — words that, he admits, affected him for the rest of his life.

Emilio at the age of a few months

He continued searching, and finally listened to the advice of a friend, who told him to try a MyHeritage DNA test.

That’s when he received the long-awaited surprise: a 40.7% match with Vanesa, confirming that they are full siblings.c

The email Emilio received informing him of his close DNA match

“My message is simple… don’t lose hope, and take a DNA test. I had completely lost hope,” says Emilio.

If you also didn’t lose hope and made an amazing discovery through MyHeritage, we want to hear about it! Send us your story via this form or email us at stories@myheritage.com.