“I thank god we discovered our household,” TikTok reunites Michigan siblings after 40 plus years

LANSING, Michigan – The Herrera family has been based in central Michigan for over 40 years.

Little did they know, however, that half of their family tree was just down the street.

Find each other

The TikTok video below was created in April and ultimately brought together five brothers and sisters.

Josie Herrera began her search in honor of her mother Magdalena, who died in 2015.

Josie sent DNA samples to pretty much all of the major websites. It took a while to get results but eventually they came in. She had a sister who had previously submitted DNA. Maria Gray.

Before Josie could reach her newly found sister, Maria commented on the TikTok that she posted a few weeks ago.

“I’ll be right here, sister, I’ll be right here,” said Maria.

In the photo above, Maria and Jerry, who were adopted together, are sitting. Martin, who was adopted by himself, and Philip and Josie, who were all raised by their birth mother.

After the separation, Maria actually lived with Martin in a foster home for a short time. She was later adopted by Jerry’s new family, but did not know at the time that Martin was her brother.

Shortly after connecting with Josie on TikTok, Maria and Jerry figured out what Martin’s new last name might be. A few google searches later, there was Martin.

“I got a call from her (Josie) late at night thinking it was a scam to be honest. I really thought it was a scam, ”said Martin. “First I told her that you had to give me some time. Probably an hour, two hours later, I thought I’d meet you Thursday. So my time was about two hours or so. “

Become a family

It’s been an instant bond since they first met, but coming up with the idea of ​​a whole new family wasn’t exactly easy.

“I thought I didn’t want to because my mother couldn’t see her kids, so why should I? I just didn’t think it was fair, said Phillip. “It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.”

Having lived with Jerry all her life, Maria didn’t know how her brother would take the news that he had a very different family right next door. She said she was shocked at what she saw.

“When I told my brother to come over, that I had something important to tell him, I wasn’t sure how he would take it,” said Maria. “When I told him, I took a step back so that he could process everything. Immediately I saw a change in his attitude. His whole demeanor. And it warmed my heart because he’s never been like this before. “

“I’ve always wondered why… Why was I put up for adoption? Wasn’t i loved Said Jerry. “Come and find out that wasn’t the case. I was loved very much, very much desired. ”

Find Janie Lou

What connects the siblings is the search for their eldest sister Janie Lou Salinas. She was born on either July 30th or July 31st, 1970. They believe she was adopted through St. Vincent Catholic Services in Lansing and may have ended up in Stockbridge.

You haven’t found her yet, but they are eager to give their sister the same sense of reassurance that they experienced.

“We really want to find Janie Lou. That is our most important goal at the moment, ”said Maria. “I just thank God that we found our family.”

“And I’m not letting her go,” Josie said.

Since five of the six siblings are reunited, the search has certainly narrowed. But the Herrera family won’t stop until they complete the family tree. That’s because her mother always wanted it more than anything.

“I remember growing up catching my mom crying and I never understood why,” Josie said. “As I got older, I understood. She remembered her birthdays. “

How to help

If you or someone you know has information on where to find the Herrera’s Janie Lou they can call us at 517-372-1300, email us at [email protected], or email us at Send Josie to herrera.josie @. rocketmail.com

Special thanks to Adam Fisher, Chivon Kloepfer, David Parks, and Connor Wilton for helping put this story together and the Herrera family for allowing me to tell their story.

Shut down

Suggest a correction

Suggest a correction