Achi news desk-
In an attempt to confirm the Inherent strand in her genealogy, Pam Currie, aged 63, discovered something special alongside him: her long-lost twin, just a car away, that she never knew existed.
CTV News asked readers to share their experiences with 23andMe, Ancestry, MyHeritage and other genealogy websites. These websites surfaced stories of uncovering family secrets, finding long lost relatives and exploring family trees. Almost 100 people responded to our call out.
Meet Currie – a woman who lives in Esterhazy, Sask.
Curious about her ethnicity and looking to validate the Aboriginal background her grandmother briefly spoke of, Currie joined Ancestry.ca in 2009. But it wasn’t until December 2018 that Currie’s husband, Paul, decided that it was time for her to do the test.
Two months later, the results came back, and Currie had an Indigenous contest of five percent.
When DNA is submitted, Currie explained, the genealogy website informs you of a match with others and to what extent, such as third, second or third cousins.
“I knew a lot of names there. It was funny, I had a feeling of unease about doing it. I was really scared because you never know what you’re going to find,” he said Currie in an interview with CTVNews. approx.
Each time, Currie said, a notification would pop up finding other games.
Then, in June 2019, Currie said a notification appeared that said “immediate sibling.”
“I was shocked,” said Currie.
Todd, Currie’s older brother, explained that he and his twin, Scott, were her biological siblings, who had been given up for adoption and were now looking for their family.
With more questions needing answers, Todd sent Currie an adoption document, written by a social worker, who described his mother, Shirley.
Currie remembered reading the document and immediately recognized it as her mother. As for the father’s descriptions, Currie said they were a “mess,” as they did not match her father, Chic.
“I assumed he was my mother’s boyfriend at the time [my parents] separated,” Currie said.
A shocking discovery
Currie said her parents married in 1960 and separated 10 years later. Her youngest brother, Kelly, had been born at the time. Raised in Bienfait, Sask., Currie, her brother and sister, Teresa, stayed with their father for three years while their mother was gone. Currie said her mother “needed to find herself.”
During that time, Currie said, her parents had tried to reconcile. Currie didn’t know it at the time, but her mother became pregnant with the twins during her time away, and gave the babies up for adoption before returning to Currie, Kelly, Teresa and their father.
“We got our family back together and we had a wonderful, loving, happy family for 40 years.”
Currie said after receiving Todd’s message, the “emotional part” came next when she asked herself, “How do I face my mom?”
A teary-eyed Currie said after explaining to her mother what the genealogy kit revealed, and the twin’s interest in meeting them, her mother broke down.
“It was very sad that this happened [but] she was very excited that we found each other,” said Currie.
Pam Currie’s parents and her long-lost twin can be seen in the image above after being reunited. From left to right, Todd, Shirley, Chic, and Scott. (Photo provided by Pam Currie)
Currie says her mother didn’t want to tell anyone about the adoption, but that changed after it all came out.
“The fact that she’s going to keep this secret [her] dead days, she was immediately excited,” Currie said.
Rounding up the family and revealing the news of their long lost siblings, Currie said her father was hesitant at first but came around, while her brother and sister were excited.
A family reunion
Currie said she spoke to her twins on Skype and by text in the three weeks leading up to their big reunion.
The twins, Todd and Scott, lived in Moose Jaw, Sask., a two and a half hour drive from their birth parents.
Trekking to the twins’ home, Currie said the drive was filled with care but anticipation.
In the background, Alan Jackson’s “The Older I Get” played, Currie described. When he arrived, a friend who lived next door to the twins, who was a professional photographer, captured the emotional moments.
Pam Currie and her brother, Todd, hug during their family reunion. (Photo provided by Pam Currie)
Pam Currie’s mother, Shirley, shares an emotional reunion with her sons, Todd and Scott. (Photo provided by Pam Currie)
“We’re a family of lip kissers. When we went to meet these guys we’ve never met before, it was an automatic kiss on the lips. It was pretty great,” Currie said.
“They made dad and Kelly T-shirts. They made us a cake that had our little family of seven, little stickers on it,” said Currie.
Pam Currie’s father, Chic, and her brother, Kelly, pose for a photo during the family reunion. The twins made them T-shirts. (Photo provided by Pam Currie)
Currie said this was the start of many families coming together, and soon after that they would be driving out every other week.
Memories of a lifetime
As suggested by her sister-in-law, Currie said her five siblings decided to audition for Family Feud and tape an episode in December 2019. “The dynamic was between the two of them and the three of us we, feeling like they were our brothers and sisters, we had those connections right away. [That] joking atmosphere you have with your family.”
“We’re making new memories,” Currie said.
Pam Currie and her siblings on Family Fued (Photo by Pam Currie)
Now, Christmas and other holidays mean that Currie and the family pick up a few extra seats.
He said it was just the seven of them their first Christmas together. “We wanted to experience Christmas together. My sister bought us a Christmas tree, all the decorations and Christmas sweaters.”
Currie said they slept overnight at their parents’ home.
“Todd calls mum and dad every night to have a chat about how their day was. It’s very sad that he’s missed out on our life. Does he have any animosity? No, not at all, and neither does Scott,” Currie said.
Currie said the family gets together monthly but not all together at the same time.
When asked about the chance of missing out on finding her twin if she didn’t take the DNA test, Currie said, “It makes me sad. The fact that my mother would have lived with that secret all her life heartbroken. She can live with the rest of our lives fulfilled now. I’m glad I did it. There are no regrets.”
Currie encourages those curious about their genealogy to “just go for it.”
“You’re either going to have a good relationship with these people, or you’re going to realize that no, you don’t want the disruption in your life, then you choose not to do it,” Currie advised.
As for Currie and her new family, their happy ending story continues.
