MyHeritage is proud to have recently reunited a mother and daughter who had been separated for over 43 years.
Robin Adair Passey of Mesa, Arizona, never forgot the daughter she gave birth to at 15. She only had a chance to spend a few minutes with her before handing her over, never to see her again. Decades later, Robin and her husband had their DNA tested as part of a family history project. Robin couldn’t believe her luck when she received a notification that she had a MyHeritage DNA Match — a 49.1% shared DNA match – which indicates a parent-child connection. She’d found her daughter.
Watch Robin and Becky’s joyous and teary reunion just a few days before the most momentous Mother’s Day in both their lives:
This Mother’s Day, we also held a competition asking users to let us know the favorite traits they’ve inherited from their mothers for a chance to win a MyHeritage DNA kit. The response was outstanding!
Here is our winning entry:
Mary Wilson: I am adopted and have two daughters. I’ve never met my biological mom. My aunt raised me after the only ‘mom’ I knew passed away when I was 11. So, I’ve been blessed with two women who were my moms. I’d like to believe that I carry empathy/understanding from my biological mom. I imagine no matter the circumstance, it may have been a difficult decision for her. By carrying empathy in my heart for others, I hope I honor her this Mother’s Day..just like all those before. Knowing who I belong to, what tribe I am from, where my footprints originated from would be an amazing gift not only for me but for my daughters too.
Here are some of our other favorite entries:
Joan Simonsen: My mother was a lady in every sense. She never cursed, never yelled, she certainly wasn’t lazy. In Denmark, where we came from, while I was in the playpen, my mother was sewing uniforms by hand for the military. My mother had such a beautiful heart. As children, we never knew that we were poor. She could make a meal fit for a king out of potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and whatever else grew in the garden. She had never cooked a bad meal. My mother never once raised her voice to us kids. She had such a calming, soothing voice in which she corrected us. I am who I am today because the wonderful role model my mother was.
Sandra Hanson: In 1931, my mother’s mother died leaving behind five children. The oldest was my mother, and she was 13. Her father was never there. My mother raised her four siblings, and at the age of 25 she married my father and had six children of her own, three stepchildren, and she fostered six of my cousins. We never had much, wore hand-me-down clothes or those that she sewed by hand. Never had running water or an indoor bathroom, but she made sure we were always clean. She boiled our clothes on a wood stove on wash day, and she washed them by hand. We went to Church three times a week. She was there to fight for us if needed and corrected us when we were wrong. She taught us to have respect for others. I have her patience, kindness, looks and a lot of her personality. She was a beautiful woman inside and out. Her biggest wish was to find her families’ history but never was able to. I have been working on it but am stuck on my great-great-grandfather.
Kim Skinner: From my biological mother I received my body type and my German sense of humor. From my adoptive mom, I received my belief in equality and generosity. They both made me who I am. #momsdna
Robin Hutchison: The qualities that my mother has instilled in me, that I treasure most are perseverance, honesty, and integrity. These have gotten me through so much in my life. Never give up, always speak the truth with wisdom and mercy and when you give your word then have the personal fortitude to keep it no matter the personal cost. Also, I love the fact that, like the rest of the women in my family, I’ve inherited a personal strength I never thought I could have. Plus the women in my family are loving and generous. Got to love those genes and personal examples. Thanks, Mom! #momsdna
Nancy Allis Foster: I inherited my Mom’s love of the past – and the inability to toss out anything others considered too “old” to be useful. Thanks to her I have a beautiful display cabinet of my family’s porcelain and china items as well as hundreds of old photos #momsdna
Rebecca Strine: One of the best traits I inherited from my mother is perseverance. There were many setbacks in my mother’s life that could have turned her life upside down with being overwhelmed, but she persevered over and over again. She sadly passed in 2015 from breast cancer, and I miss her every single day. No matter what comes my way, I persist with courage I never knew I had. Thank you, Mom!
Thank you to everyone who entered, and we wish you many more Mother’s Days spent with family.
