This is the emotional moment when a woman who was given up for adoption as a baby is reunited with her half-sister for the first time in person on Long Lost Family: What Happened Next.
Jane Smith, of Poole, Dorset, spent 30 years searching for her US Air Force-born father – only to sadly discover he passed away some 20 years ago, at the age of 63.
However, a grandmother-of-six, who grew up as an only child in a happy home, found six siblings on her father’s side after one of her half-sisters, Sandra, discovered her via a DNA database in 2020, when Jan was 67. .
But due to covid, the sisters have only been able to contact each other online for two years. Their emotional reunion – featuring the siblings sharing a sweet hug – was broadcast on ITV’s show Last Night.
Sandra made the 5,000-mile journey to stay with Jan for two months – she went from new acquaintances to housemates overnight.
This is the emotional moment a woman who was given up for adoption as a baby is reunited with her half-sister for the first time in person on Long Lost Family: What Happened Next
“Because of Covid and Sandra living on the west coast of America, it would have been impossible for them to meet in person… until now,” Davina McCall explained.
“Today I meet my older sister for the first time in my life,” Sandra said before the reunion. “The closer I got, the more I started to feel a little shaky.”
Jean felt equally overwhelmed, saying, “I’m all over the place a little bit, it’s been 30 years of building, so I’m a little emotional today, but I’m still excited.”
The grandmother rushed to her door upon Sandra’s arrival at her home and the two were photographed hugging each other.
“Good to see you,” Sandra said, while Jan added, “Two years, oh my god.” It’s a long time. I don’t want to let you go.
Sandra, who said she felt “in love” during her visit, added, “Our dad will be so happy we finally found each other.”
The sisters hope the trip will be one of many, with Jean saying, “I just took the family (Sandra) right away…she just hosted…she’s just a part of us now.”
When she first appears on Long Lost Family in 2021, Jane is left crying after hearing her father’s voice for the first time.
Jane Smith (pictured with her half-sister Sandra), of Poole, Dorset, spent 30 years searching for her US Air Force-born father – only to sadly find that he died nearly 20 years ago, at the age of 63
However, a grandmother-of-six, who grew up as an only child in a happy home, found six siblings on her father’s side after one of her half-sisters, Sandra (pictured together), discovered her via a DNA database in 2020, when Jan was He is 67 years old
Pictured is Jan holding her father’s photo. She spent decades searching for her biological father after learning he was stationed in the United Kingdom during World War II as part of the US Air Force.
She had spent decades searching for her biological father after learning he was stationed in the United Kingdom during World War II as part of the US Air Force.
Although she was adopted into a happy home as a child, Jane spent her childhood dreaming of her father appearing in her life in his uniform and longing to find him.
Jane discovered her mother a few years before the show connected, but struggled to find her father and sought help from an ITV show – where a research team eventually matched her DNA to six siblings in the US.
Sadly, Jean’s half-sister informed her that her father had died in 1995, but co-host Davina McCall presented Jean with an audio recording of Johnny’s singing.
Jane, who has been married for forty years and has three children and six grandchildren, was adopted into a loving home as a newborn – but still feels “homesick”.
She explained, “I was so homesick, it’s the only way I can describe it, I was so homesick but I was home.” You urgently need to know your parents.
“But when I was younger, I never wanted to dig around if I’d hurt my adoptive parents’ feelings.”
When she was in her thirties, Jane began searching for her biological parents and found her mother three years later.
But due to covid, the sisters have only been able to contact each other online for two years. Their emotional reunion – featuring the siblings sharing a sweet hug – was broadcast on ITV’s show Last Night
The grandmother rushed to her door upon Sandra’s arrival at her home and the two were photographed hugging each other
“Good to see you,” Sandra said, while Jan added, “Two years, oh my god.” It’s a long time. I don’t want to let you go.
“The first thing she said when she saw me was ‘You look like your dad.’ It made me want to find my birth dad, to get the whole picture,” recalls Jane, whose mom was with Johnny for six to eight months before she became pregnant.
After finding out they were expecting they decided to give the baby up for adoption, with Jane adding: “They had discussed marriage but decided it wasn’t a good idea because they were so young.”
The Long Lost Family team added Jane’s DNA to a database to discover blood relatives, and finally found her half-sister, Sandra, who lives in America.
Within 24 hours of the match coming to light, Sandra who is “very interested in genealogy” emails Jane herself.
‘I kind of knew in my head that my dad had a daughter somewhere,’ said Sandra. I knew it was from when my dad was in the army before he met my mom.
Speaking about her father’s death due to a suspected heart problem, Sandra added: ‘He was very young, he was only 63, and it was a shock, I think we had more time.
It is sad that Jin does not meet our father. He was a very kind person, and everyone loved him. I think he would have included her in the family.
‘We have a big family. Four brothers and a little sister who are all open to meeting her. Everyone wants it. I’m so glad she finally put her DNA out there.
Jane talks to Davina about her father’s death, revealing that Sandra eventually informed her via email.
Davina then plays an audio recording of Jan’s dad singing “Welcome to My World” by Jim Reeves, which leaves Grandma in tears.
“Isn’t it nice to hear that?” says the announcer, to which Jan replies, “Yes, to hear his voice… very special.”
