Woman's search for long-lost sisters takes unexpected turn with shocking discovery

A woman’s search for her long-lost twin sisters took a very “unexpected turn” with a shocking discovery about their mum.

For children who have been adopted , tracking down their birth family can bring with it a rollercoaster of emotions.

One British woman was left stunned by family revelations after she enlisted the help of ITV’s Long Lost Family to try and track down her siblings.

Melanie Mackney was aware that her mother, Maria, had fled from war-torn Yugoslavia in search of safety. She arrived in London in 1967 and found love with an Irish man.

In 1969, Maria gave birth to twin sisters, Kathleen and Rosemary, before having Mackney two years later. But, due to their unfortunate circumstances, they were forced to give all three children up.

Mackney had tried without success to search for her birth mother and sisters when she was granted access to her records, so turned to the ITV show for help.

The researchers on the show made the astonishing discovery that, before she came to London, Maria had taken refuge in Australia, where she had married and had two daughters, Helen and Mitza.

Maria, who was believed to have had schizophrenia, walked out on the family who never heard from her again.

Following the astonishing discovery, Mackney was able to video call with her newfound sisters and finally see a picture of her birth mother for the first time in her life. The three sisters learned that Maria had died aged 43.

Attention then turned back to twin sisters, Kathleen and Rosemary, and it was sadly discovered that Kathleen had died in a car accident in 2021 aged just 52.

But, Kathleen had had a child named Liam, and Mackney was able to be united with her nephew in person. She is now in touch with her three sisters and nephew, and is getting to know her new family members.

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