Two Indian Born Women Discover They Are Sisters After 40 Years
Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen were born in India and adopted separately as babies by families in the Netherlands. Growing up, neither knew that they had a biological sister living relatively close to them.
The two first met as teenagers at a gathering for adopted children in 1996. Despite having no idea they were related, they immediately formed a strong connection. Their friends even noticed how much they looked alike.
The girls exchanged addresses and jokingly called each other sis in their correspondence.
Decades after their first meeting, both women continued to have questions about their biological origins. In April 2026, Minal received the results of a DNA test through MyHeritage, and one result immediately stood out.
The test identified Meena as her sister, producing what Reuters described as a rare 100% match. The discovery transformed a childhood friendship into the revelation of a lifelong family connection.
Minal recalled sitting on her couch when the result appeared on her phone.
The discovery brought an overwhelming sense of happiness for both women. Meena described feeling as though a missing piece of her life had finally been found after years of wondering about her biological family.
During their emotional reunion in the Netherlands, Meena told Minal, When I see you, it's like I'm home. Their meeting was filled with tears, laughter and long embraces.
Since discovering their relationship, the sisters have remained closely connected.
Minal, who now lives in France with her partner and two sons, said she had grown up feeling loved by her Dutch adoptive family. At the same time, she described experiencing a sense of loneliness connected to not knowing her biological relatives.
The DNA discovery gave that lifelong question an extraordinary answer. Looking back at their first meeting as teenagers, Minal realized that the person she had connected with decades earlier had actually been her sister.
We were friends before we were sisters, Minal said. We were sisters the whole time, but we didn't know.
Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen were born in India and adopted separately as babies by families in the Netherlands. Growing up, neither knew that they had a biological sister living relatively close to them.
Meena Geltink and Minal Tijssen were born in India and adopted separately as babies by families in the Netherlands. Growing up, neither knew that they had a biological sister living relatively close to them.
The two first met as teenagers at a gathering for adopted children in 1996. Despite having no idea they were related, they immediately formed a strong connection. Their friends even noticed how much they looked alike.
The girls exchanged addresses and jokingly called each other sis in their correspondence.
Decades after their first meeting, both women continued to have questions about their biological origins. In April 2026, Minal received the results of a DNA test through MyHeritage, and one result immediately stood out.
The test identified Meena as her sister, producing what Reuters described as a rare 100% match. The discovery transformed a childhood friendship into the revelation of a lifelong family connection.
Minal recalled sitting on her couch when the result appeared on her phone.
The discovery brought an overwhelming sense of happiness for both women. Meena described feeling as though a missing piece of her life had finally been found after years of wondering about her biological family.
During their emotional reunion in the Netherlands, Meena told Minal, When I see you, it's like I'm home. Their meeting was filled with tears, laughter and long embraces.
Since discovering their relationship, the sisters have remained closely connected.
Minal, who now lives in France with her partner and two sons, said she had grown up feeling loved by her Dutch adoptive family. At the same time, she described experiencing a sense of loneliness connected to not knowing her biological relatives.
The DNA discovery gave that lifelong question an extraordinary answer. Looking back at their first meeting as teenagers, Minal realized that the person she had connected with decades earlier had actually been her sister.
We were friends before we were sisters, Minal said. We were sisters the whole time, but we didn't know.