73-year-old woman who grew up as 'only child' stunned after DNA test returned an exact match
The test connected her with people she never knew about.
For most of her life, Lorraine Williams believed she was an only child. According to Global News, the 73-year-old from Chilliwack, British Columbia, was raised by her father in Canada and had long assumed that her family story ended there. Then, out of curiosity, she decided to take a DNA test through MyHeritage.com. When the results came back, she noticed something that made her stop and reread the screen.
"My tummy flipped over," she told Global News, "And I was just so, so excited. I can’t put it into words. Just awesome." Her DNA had matched with a woman named Josephine "Josie" Morey in the United Kingdom, who had also taken the test. Morey, 76, had been given the kit by her granddaughter as a Christmas gift to learn more about her mixed-race heritage. She grew up in foster care after being placed in a Barnardo’s home as a child. "I was unplaceable because I was sort of in-between," she said. "I wasn’t one or the other, black or white, and nobody wanted me."
DNA services like MyHeritage and Ancestry.com have led to thousands of similar discoveries in recent years. A large-scale study published in the American Society of Human Genetics found that out of more than 23,000 people who used genetic relative-finder tools, 5% discovered unknown full or half siblings, and 3% learned that an assumed parent was not biological. Some participants made life changes because of their discoveries, contacting newly found relatives, rethinking identity, exploring medical or ancestry paths.
The test confirmed what neither woman could have imagined — they shared the same father. "It’s been such an experience to find out we came from St. Kitts originally," Morey said. Through MyHeritage, the two later found a third match: Jim McLoughlin, 77, a former boxer and nightclub manager in Liverpool who also shared their father. McLoughlin had spent his early years in convents and said he grew up believing he had no family left. "I didn’t have any heritage," he said. "I’ve gone full circle, from nothing to finding out what my background is. It’s like having a library with books missing that you’ve been looking for for years. And suddenly you find them, you put them in, and everything slots into the right place."
Williams had no idea that two of his children had been left behind in England. For decades, all three lived separate lives, unaware of one another. Last year, after months of video calls and emails, Williams traveled to the U.K. to finally meet her brother and sister in person. They arranged to see each other at a hotel in Southampton, where journalists had been invited to witness the reunion. "The actual moment was wonderful," Williams said. "I couldn’t help but jump up and down. It’s surreal and gleeful and joyful and astonishing — it’s everything all at once."
Josie described it as "an explosion of emotions." "It’s the first time we’ve actually physically seen each other and been able to talk to each other," she said. "After 12 months, really waiting for this particular day." Jim said the connection was immediate. "Although we’ve only just met each other, it’s like we’ve known each other our whole lives," he said. The siblings spent the weekend together, catching up on stories from the years they missed. Williams later said the experience brought a sense of closure and gratitude. "It’s been nothing but positivity and happiness," she said. "And if our dad were here, I know he’d love this."
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