Adopted women discover they are sisters after 40 years

Two women, 43-year-old Meena Geltink and 44-year-old Minal Thijssen, have discovered they are biological sisters four decades after being adopted from the same orphanage in India. Despite being adopted by separate families and raised 160 kilometers apart in the Netherlands, their paths crossed in 1996 during an event for adopted children. The two women formed a close friendship at the time, frequently joking about their resemblance and calling each other "sis" without knowing their true kinship.

The realization came after they both sought answers about their origins and underwent DNA testing. During an emotional reunion held on Tuesday in the Netherlands, Geltink, a mother of three, described the discovery as finding a missing piece of a puzzle, noting that she had long felt a void regarding her biological roots. The case has drawn international attention as a remarkable coincidence of childhood friends who unknowingly reunited with their biological family.