Best Friends of 17 years discover they're actually sisters who share the same biological father

Ashley Thomas and Latoya Wimberly have always considered themselves to be sisters. Since meeting each other in middle school, the best friends have never gone a day without at least speaking on the phone. They have a lot in common — from the identical gaps in their front teeth, the same distinct high cheekbones, and matching complexion to similar taste in music and fashion. They even dated brothers at one point. However, nothing could've prepared them for the life-changing revelation that changed the nature of their relationship forever last month.

In February, the two Philadelphia-area women learned that they aren't just sisters for namesake. A DNA test revealed that the BFFs of 17 years are actually biological sisters who share the same father. "I almost passed out," the 29-year-old Wimberly told Good Morning America about the moment she discovered that her dad is also her best friend's biological father. "Then I immediately called Ashley." Thomas, 31, was equally shocked to hear that the man she'd known almost all her life as her best friend's dad is also her father. "The first few nights I couldn’t go to sleep," said Thomas.

"I’m happy that she's my sister but had some emotions that this guy I’ve been around this whole time, I never knew he was my father," she added. Speaking to CNN, Thomas revealed that she and Wimberly have "stuck to each other like glue" since the moment they met at a birthday party in 2004. She was about 15-years-old when she learned that the man who'd raised her with her mother wasn't her biological father and when her mom passed away nearly 11 years ago, Thomas was left with a lot of unanswered questions. However, she'd never actively searched for her biological dad.

The revelation that changed the best friends' lives was set off by a Facebook post earlier this year when Thomas shared photos from her engagement party. Some of the photos included Wimberly and her father Kenneth Wimberly. "I gave her [Wimberly] a shout out on Facebook and my mom's best friend said, 'I didn't know you were Kenneth's daughter's best friend.' I called [Latoya Wimberly] a few days later and told her my mom’s best friend said she knew your dad and your dad may know my mom," said Thomas.

"Ashley's mom's best friend told her she had no idea my dad was Kenny. She said she and Ashley's mom used to hang around him back when they were young. When Ashley told me, I knew something didn't click. So I asked her to send me a picture of her mom's best friend and showed it to my dad and asked him if he recognized her," Wimberly revealed. Kenneth immediately recognized the woman and when later shown a photo of Thomas' mother, he recognized her too. In fact, he revealed that the two had shared a brief romantic relationship years ago.

Wimberly immediately pressed her dad to get a DNA test. "She told me she and Ashley would pay some and I would pay $100. That was the best $100 I ever spent," Kenneth revealed. On February 21, the results came in confirming that he was indeed Thomas' biological father. "It was a Friday, and I was at work when I got the call. When Kenny told me he was my dad, chills went through my body. I couldn't think. I couldn't process it. I couldn't even talk to them," he recalled. "I am happy that she’s my daughter. And everyone is happy that she’s a part of the family."

"As a father, I’ve always been there and I’ve always raised my children and this deprived Ashley of having me in her life to raise her. I just feel so bad for her but we can’t undo what happened. She always called me Big Kenny and now it’s moving from Big Kenny to dad and it takes a little while to get used to. But she just looks at me when she does it and smiles," he revealed. Thomas, who has two children, accepted that it would take some time for her to get used to things now. "It's just a weird feeling. It's definitely going to take some time. I'm still in disbelief. But I want him to be a part of his grandchildren's lives," she said.