Success Stories

I came on this site just to make up my family tree, never realising that my half sister, Pauline, was looking for our father (she did not know I existed). In April 2003, whilst working on a night shift, I checked my e-mail only to discover that there was a message from her. I was gobsmacked. I had known of Paulines existance since about the age of 11, but my mother, who had died a few years previously, had always said that she did not want me to find Pauline and I had respected her wishes, but thanks to Genes Connected she had found me (and Dad)! After many e-mails and phone calls, I went to meet her and we arranged for her to come to meet up with Dad again after over 40 years. It was a very emotional reunion for them. Then a few days later Pauline suffered a brain haemorrhage. After she came out of hospital I went to see her to help her and her husband with her recovery. We continued to meet as often as possible, but we live a long way from each other so it is quite difficult. Then in February 2004, Dad broke his hip. This was not diagnosed until April 2004 when he landed up in hospital. After 2 days on the ward he came down with a chest infection, which turned to Bronchopneumonia, and he died on 7th May. Pauline was already coming to visit him and was there at exactly the right time. We had no way of knowing what was going to happen, but we were there together. I am so grateful to Genes Connected, as without you I would have not met Pauline and she would never have met Dad again.