Brother and sister reunite after 20 years apart
Siblings adopted by different families when they were toddlers
Updated: 11:26 PM EDT May 10, 2017
Ari Hait
WEBVTT >> A BOW.ARI: IT'S NOT OFTEN BILLY ANWITH THEIR DAUGHTER SUMMER, BUTIT'S TIMES LIKE THESE THE PALMBEACH GARDENS MAN LOOKS AT HISTHREE-YEAR-OLD AND REALIZESSHE'S THE EXACT AGE HE WAS THELAST TIME HE SAW HIS SISTER.>> OUR SISTER NATALIE WASADOPTED TO A SEPARATE FAMILYTHAN MY BROTHER JACOB AND I.ARI: IT WAS MORE THAN 20 YEARSAGO.BILLY'S PARENTS COULDN'T CAREFOR HIM AND HIS TWO SIBLINGS.BILLY AND JACOB WERE ADOPTED BYONE FAMILY, NATALIE BY ANOTHER.THERE WAS NO CONTACT.BILLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE HAD ASISTER UNTIL HE WAS ABOUT 10.>> EVER SINCE -- EVER SINCE IKNEW HER NAME, I'VE WANTED TOFIND HER.ARI: BUT HE NEVER KNEW HOW TO DOTHAT.THAT'S WHERE KERRI STEPPED IN.>> I WANTED TO MEET HER.I WANTED TO BRING THE FAMILYTOGETHER.THAT'S HOW FAMILY SHOULD BE.ARI: THROUGH THE MAGIC OF SOCIALMEDIA, SHE TRACKED NATALIE DOWNAND SENT A MESSAGE.>> I KNOW THIS SOUNDS VERYSTRANGE BUT I'M LOOKING FOR MYHUSBAND'S BIOLOGICAL SISTER ANDYOU JUST SO HAPPENED TO HAVE THESAME NAME AS HER.ARI: THE REPLY CAME THE NEXTDAY.>> AND SHE SAID, HEY KERRI, IWAS ADOPTED AND I HAVE TWOBROTHERS.AND SO, WE JUST WENT FROM THERE.>> HERE SHE COMES.I CAN HEAR HER COMING DOWN THESTREET. ARI: AND THAT BRINGS US TO LASTSUNDAY, BILLY WAITING IN THEGARAGE TO SEE HIS SISTER.>> ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT ISWHY AM I SO SCARED?WHY AM I SO NERVOUS?THIS IS MY SISTER.THIS IS HAPPY TIMES.ARI: NATALIE'S CAR PULLS UP, ANDA REUNION TWO SIBLINGS HAVEWAITED TWO DECADES FOR.>> ALL LOVE.IT WAS A HUG LIKE I'VE NEVERHAD.BECAUSE IT WAS A HUG I'VE NEVERHAD.>> I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.OH MY GOD.>> IT WAS AMAZING.ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MYLIFE.>> IT'S NOT JUST ANY ORDINARYHUG.THAT WAS THE HUG OF THE YEAR,THE HUG OF MY LIFE.ARI: NATALIE GOT TO MEET BILLY'SFAMILY.ESSENTIALLY, SHE GOT TO MEETBILLY.BROTHER AND SISTER TOGETHERAGAIN.>> MIRACLE CAME TRUE.YOU DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR HOPES.ARI: BILLY AND NATALIE HAVE MADEPLANS TO SEE EACH OTHER AT THEEND OF THE MONTH.THEIR OTHER BROTHER JACOB ISMAKING PLANS TO TRAVEL HERE TO
Billy and Kerri sit in their Palm Beach Gardens home watching their three-year-old daughter color. It's hard for Billy to not look at his little girl and think she's the same age he was the last time he saw his sister. "Our sister Natalie was adopted to a separate family than my brother Jacob and I," he said. That was more than twenty years ago. Billy's parents couldn't care for him and his two siblings. The boys went to one family and Natalie went to another. There was no contact. In fact, Billy said he didn't even know he had a sister until he was about 10 years old. "Ever since I knew her name, I've wanted to find her," he told WPBF 25 News. But Billy said he had no idea how to go about doing that. That's where his wife Kerri stepped in. "I wanted to meet her," Kerri said. "I wanted to bring the family together. That's how family should be." Kerri took to social media, searching Facebook. One thing led to another and she found Natalie and sent her a message. "I know this sounds very strange but I'm looking for my husband's biological sister and you just so happen to have the same name as her," Kerri wrote. The next day, Natalie wrote back. "Hey Kerri, I was adopted and I have two brothers," her message said. "So, we just went from there," Kerri said. Brother and sister arranged to meet last Sunday. Kerri recorded the whole thing on her phone. The video starts with Billy sitting in his garage, anxiously waiting for Natalie to arrive. "All I could think about is, 'Why am I so scared? Why am I so nervous?" he said. "This is my sister. This is happy times." In the video, Natalie's car pulls up and Billy walks to the driveway to greet her. The two siblings embrace in an emotional moment. "All love," Billy said of the hug. "It was a hug like I've never had because it was a hug I've never had." "It was amazing," Kerri said. "One of the best moments of my life." "It's not just any ordinary hug," Billy said. "That was the hug of the year, the hug of my life." Natalie spent the day at Billy's home, meeting his family and, for the most part, meeting her brother all over again. "Miracle came true," Billy said. "You don't give up on your hopes." Billy and Natalie made plans to see each other again in a few weeks. Their other brother, Jacob, currently lives in Iowa. He's planning to fly to Florida soon for his own reunion with his sister.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. —
Billy and Kerri sit in their Palm Beach Gardens home watching their three-year-old daughter color.
It's hard for Billy to not look at his little girl and think she's the same age he was the last time he saw his sister.
"Our sister Natalie was adopted to a separate family than my brother Jacob and I," he said.
That was more than twenty years ago.
Billy's parents couldn't care for him and his two siblings.
The boys went to one family and Natalie went to another. There was no contact. In fact, Billy said he didn't even know he had a sister until he was about 10 years old.
"Ever since I knew her name, I've wanted to find her," he told WPBF 25 News.
But Billy said he had no idea how to go about doing that.
That's where his wife Kerri stepped in.
"I wanted to meet her," Kerri said. "I wanted to bring the family together. That's how family should be."
Kerri took to social media, searching Facebook. One thing led to another and she found Natalie and sent her a message.
"I know this sounds very strange but I'm looking for my husband's biological sister and you just so happen to have the same name as her," Kerri wrote.
The next day, Natalie wrote back.
"Hey Kerri, I was adopted and I have two brothers," her message said.
"So, we just went from there," Kerri said.
Brother and sister arranged to meet last Sunday.
Kerri recorded the whole thing on her phone.
The video starts with Billy sitting in his garage, anxiously waiting for Natalie to arrive.
"All I could think about is, 'Why am I so scared? Why am I so nervous?" he said. "This is my sister. This is happy times."
In the video, Natalie's car pulls up and Billy walks to the driveway to greet her. The two siblings embrace in an emotional moment.
"All love," Billy said of the hug. "It was a hug like I've never had because it was a hug I've never had."
"It was amazing," Kerri said. "One of the best moments of my life."
"It's not just any ordinary hug," Billy said. "That was the hug of the year, the hug of my life."
Natalie spent the day at Billy's home, meeting his family and, for the most part, meeting her brother all over again.
"Miracle came true," Billy said. "You don't give up on your hopes."
Billy and Natalie made plans to see each other again in a few weeks.
Their other brother, Jacob, currently lives in Iowa. He's planning to fly to Florida soon for his own reunion with his sister.