Alison Slavin, 41, and Sam Davies, 43, found they share the same father after adopted child Alison tracked down her biological mother.
Two UK women who were best friends for the past 16 years have made an amazing discovery - they both are sisters.
Alison Slavin, 41, and Sam Davies, 43, found they share the same father after adopted child Alison tracked down her biological mother.
The pair from Bristol never suspected they were related despite living remarkably similar lives - they look alike, have similar taste in clothes, both work as childminders, have two children and live less than a mile apart.
Slavin made the discovery when a friend helped her trace her birth mother, who revealed her natural father was called Terry Cox.
She immediately recognised it as the name of Davies 's father - and DNA tests later confirmed the pair are half sisters.
"'We had joked in the past we were sisters as people used to always ask us if we were, saying we looked alike," the Daily Mail quoted Slavin as saying.
"But I was shocked to find out we were actually half sisters. I could not get hold of Sam by phone so I texted her the words "Hello Sis".
"An hour later I phoned and explained everything and she was so excited.
"I was adopted from birth and never looked into my natural parents because I had a lovely and fantastic childhood so I didn't feel the need," Slavin added.
The pair met in 1993 through a mutual friend and soon became best friends, going to a karaoke night twice a week.
Davies' surprise at the news quickly turned to elation.
She said: "When Alison texted me telling me we were sisters a tiny part of me thought she was joking but a bigger part of me thought, "Oh my God".
"After the initial shock I spoke to Alison and she explained everything I just thought, "Wow."
"I had always wanted a sister, and what better sister could I have than my best friend?
"Second to getting married and giving birth to my children, it was the most exciting thing I have ever been told.
"It's sad we didn't find out sooner but you can't change what's happened. We're just absolutely thrilled we have found out now," she added.
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