A Woman Took A DNA Test, And The Results Led Her To An Unlikely Person From Her Past

What do we know about Cheryl’s past prior to the seismic changes in her personal life? Well, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary back then. But fate would soon conspire to turn the story of her life from mundane to extraordinary.

You see, Cheryl had a job at a medical facility in Connecticut over three decades ago. And at home, she lived a happy life with her partner Ralph. Everything looked good. Plus, to help her through the work day, she had someone to lean on at the hospital as well.

Yes, Cheryl became pals with a colleague at the facility. Her name is Linda Rinaldi. The pair formed a strong bond at the time, which no doubt made their shifts a bit easier. In fact, a life-long friendship appeared to be brewing. Yet one decision put paid to that.

Linda opted to say goodbye to the area, bringing her spell at the hospital to a close. In addition to that, she eventually lost contact with Cheryl, too. That couldn’t have been easy for either of them. Still, though, the former local resident didn’t forget about her old pal.

Yep, Linda had some really kind words for Cheryl while speaking to TODAY in December 2021. She revealed, “She’s always been the nicest person I’ve ever known.” Talk about high praise! Anyway, despite drifting apart all those years ago, the pair would be reunited under the craziest of circumstances.

In the years after Linda moved away, Cheryl continued to enjoy her home-life with Ralph, and the ex-hospital worker had a drama-free spell across the next several years. Things seemed pretty chill. But a seemingly innocuous turn of events threw all of that up in the air.

Ralph began to develop a fascination with genealogy in his free time. It’s a rabbit-hole many people fall down, especially if they’re eager to learn more about their past. Mind you, he didn’t just want to experience this for himself. Cheryl’s hubby hoped to bring her into the fold as well.

On that note, Ralph handed his wife a present — it was a DNA test. Cheryl already had a good idea of her background, but was still intrigued by what the kit could uncover. Maybe there was a corner of the family tree she didn’t know about? So, she took the plunge.

No one could’ve predicted what happened next, though. Prior to taking the test, Cheryl was under the assumption that she had ties to both France and Italy. Yet the information that came back to her and Ralph suggested that wasn’t entirely accurate. And it left the former hospital employee dumbfounded.

To go into more detail, Cheryl sat down with TV show TODAY in December 2021. She recalled, “It was telling me I was from the British Isles. It didn’t specifically say Ireland, it didn’t say that I was totally Irish. But it didn’t tell me I was Italian, and that was all I knew.”

Just like that, Cheryl’s world had been turned upside down. Her entire past had suddenly been thrown into question, and it didn’t leave her in the best of mental spaces. Who wouldn’t be devastated by that news? It was a lot to take in. She offered some additional insight on the matter during her chat with TODAY.

“I didn’t know who I was,” Cheryl noted. “I looked in the mirror and said, ‘Who am I?’ So it was hard for me.” And the complications didn’t end there, either. As a result of the discovery, she had to come to terms with what that meant for her parents.

Yes, according to the test results, Cheryl’s dad wasn’t a blood relation, even though he had cared for her throughout her childhood. Clearly devastated by this state of affairs, she remarked, “I don’t think he ever knew that [he wasn’t my real father].” 

Of course, Cheryl’s story is a perfect example of the hazards that can accompany taking DNA tests. Sure, the results can bring about some wonderful discoveries, but there is a flipside to that. There’s always a slim chance of finding out stuff that could potentially tear families and relationships apart.

And as we’ve seen with Cheryl, the mental strain of dealing with shocking results is also a big issue. Feelings of stress, guilt, anxiety, and anger can bubble to the surface, and some might find that too much to bear. Who’d have thought the truth could come with such a heavy price?

Anyway, after the initial shock wore off for Cheryl, something interesting came to light. As she dived into the information provided to her, a long-lost relative was revealed. Suddenly, Ralph’s partner perked up and became very curious. Could some good news finally be on the horizon? 

Upon closer inspection, Cheryl realized that this person wasn’t actually “long-lost” or a distant relative at all. In fact, the ex-hospital worker recognized the name almost instantly. Who could it be? She looked back on that moment while speaking to TODAY. 

Cheryl recalled, “It said I was closely related to this person Linda Rinaldi. I said to my husband, ‘I used to work with Linda Rinaldi.’ I could tell it was the same person. It just said, ‘Closely related or first cousin.’” What are the chances of that?

And after casting her mind back to their time at the medical facility in Connecticut, a memory emerged for Cheryl. She continued, “There was just something about [Linda that] I was drawn to. For some reason, I just felt this connection to her, I don’t know what it was.” Now we do!

So Cheryl’s next move was clear to her — she knew she had to get in contact with Linda right away. Once she’d obtained her number, she fired over a message to her ex-colleague. As for what it said, the latter shared the details with TODAY. It had been a really heartwarming exchange.

Linda stated, “[Cheryl] said we were related, that’s all she told me. I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if we were sisters?’ And she says, ‘I know you’re my sister.’” Was Cheryl correct on that front, though? Maybe their old friendship played a role in her coming to that conclusion?

Well, after the duo reconnected following years apart, they underwent a different DNA test to understand exactly what their relationship was. And as it turned out, Cheryl was on the money! Yes, she and Linda were half-sisters, with a 16-month gap between their respective births. It was like something out of a Hollywood movie!

So what does that say about Cheryl and Linda’s respective family histories, then? Which figure from their past connected them? With the knowledge she now had of her childhood “dad,” the former concluded that they had the same father. He was married to Linda’s mother, before apparently engaging in an affair with Cheryl’s parent.

Mind you, as sure as Linda and Cheryl both were about the circumstances, they couldn’t get concrete confirmation. Why? Well, unfortunately for the two women, their folks had passed away by the time they took the DNA tests. So a lot of questions will sadly remain unanswered.

As for their reactions to the big news, Linda had this to say to TODAY. She joked, “I never thought I’d find anybody with a sense of humor like mine!” The former hospital worker was delighted to have a sibling in her life following close to seven decades without one.

Meanwhile, Cheryl’s response was a bit more emotional in comparison. You see, she hadn’t forgotten about the stress and sadness that had come from that first DNA test which Ralph handed to her. But with Linda back in her life, there was now light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Cheryl said, “This is a blessing. Meeting Linda had a lot to do with [finding myself again]. The fact that she welcomed me with open arms. I think that was the turning point for me.” At that stage, the Connecticut resident burst into tears, unable to hold it in any longer.

The raw emotions involved were on full display here. Despite Cheryl’s tears, though, she was able to proudly state “who” she is today. She beamed, “I’m Linda’s sister. This is the best outcome.” Is anyone else getting a little misty-eyed now, or is it just us?

Once TODAY shared this incredible story online, some other notable outlets picked up on it as well. For instance, the websites of British newspapers The Sun and Daily Mail covered it in December 2021. Yep, Cheryl and Linda were making international headlines! As for the responses from users, the Daily Mail article generated a few comments.

One contributor went on to agree with Cheryl’s earlier assessment, writing, “What a beautiful result.” Elsewhere, a different user said, “[I’m] glad they finally found each other.” But among all the other comments, one stood out from the crowd: this individual touched on their own experiences with DNA tests.

The user wrote, “[This is a] wonderful story. DNA has also united members of my family who didn’t know the other existed until the test. On the downside, another relative discovered the son he raised for 19 years was not his son after all. Everything changed, and not for the better in that instance.”

All of the above shows that Cheryl was far from the only person out there to experience the tremendous highs and lows of such tests. And on that note the online user made an intriguing final point. They added, “I’m sure these stories are happening all over the world these days.” It does make you think!

Going back to Linda and Cheryl, though, what are their future plans now that they know they’re half-sisters? Well, while sitting down together at a kitchen table bathed in sunlight, the latter made her hopes very clear.

As captured by TODAY’s cameras, Cheryl says to Linda, “Well, we’ve lost the last 30 years. But we’ve got the next 30, and you better promise me [you’ll still be here]! We have to make memories like sisters do.” Something tells us that they’ll no doubt relish every second they have together.