Best friends for decades – until a DNA test revealed they were sisters
Two Indian-born women in their 40s, adopted as babies by different families and raised near each other in the Netherlands, have now discovered they are biological sisters.
Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen, both in their 40s, were adopted as babies from different orphanages in Mumbai, India, and raised in the Netherlands. Despite sharing striking physical and personality similarities, the two women remained unaware of their biological connection until 2017.
The sisters first met at an adoption agency event in their teens, bonding over their uncanny resemblances. They exchanged contact information, wrote letters, and discovered shared interests like music and sports. However, their relationship faded when Minal moved to France at age 15, and Meena became a busy new mother.
In May 2017, Meena took a DNA test after being reminded of the possibility by a reunion of adoptees from India. It was only on May 20 that Minal, who had also taken the test while visiting her parents, received the life-changing result. The DNA test revealed they were "a 100% match", confirming they shared the same biological parents.
The emotional reunion occurred in August, marking a poignant homecoming for the sisters. Minal described the moment as an incredible "adrenalin shot", confirming her intuition that they were long-lost sisters. Now a mother of three, Meena expressed feeling a profound sense of completion, stating that their reunion filled a void they had long sensed.
Both women grew up in the Netherlands, with their adoptive Dutch parents serving as their primary caregivers. Meena's mother, who still resides in their small village, remains a constant source of support. Minal, living in France with her partner and two sons, only realized the extent of their sibling relationship after reviewing her own social media photos.
Since their discovery, Meena and Minal have maintained a close, daily communication, even meeting each other's relatives. The sisters share an uncanny ability to finish each other's sentences and exhibit similar mannerisms. Looking ahead, they express a desire to visit Mumbai together, revisiting the place where their lives began and exploring their shared heritage. Their reunion serves as a testament to the enduring power of intuition and the profound connections that shape our identities.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
