Two women born in India and raised in the Netherlands discovered they are biological sisters through a MyHeritage DNA test.
The discovery highlights the growing role of commercial genetic testing in helping adoptees reclaim lost family histories and biological identities.
Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen were both adopted into different families in the Netherlands. They first met as teenagers, forming a friendship that lasted for decades. Despite their long-standing bond, neither woman knew they shared a biological connection until they decided to use DNA testing to learn more about their origins.
The genetic test returned a 100% match [1], confirming the two women are biological sisters. The revelation came between 30 [2] and 40 [3] years after they first met as teenagers.
"We finally have the missing piece of our identity," Geltink said.
The women described the emotional impact of the discovery as a homecoming. For both, the confirmation of their sibling relationship provided a sense of belonging that had been missing since their adoption from India.
"It feels like home," Geltink said.
Tijssen echoed this sentiment regarding the reunion. "It's like I'm home," Tijssen said.
The pair had maintained a friendship for years without knowing their genetic link. The use of MyHeritage technology allowed them to bridge the gap created by separate adoptions, transforming a lifelong friendship into a familial bond.
“"We finally have the missing piece of our identity."”
This case illustrates the intersection of international adoption and the rise of consumer genomics. As more adoptees use DNA databases to find biological relatives, the technology is increasingly filling gaps left by incomplete or missing adoption records from decades past.
