‘My Best Friend Turned Out To Be My Secret Sister'

Lori Fort-Gill, 54, a nurse from New York, spent years not knowing the truth about her biological parents. Then a chance DNA test revealed her family was much closer than she ever imagined

- Kate Graham

I held my breath as Margaret aimed the bowling ball.“Well done!” I cried as she sent the pins flying and bounded back for a happy high five.

It was Monday night and, aged 19, that meant one thing – bowling with my best friend Margaret and her three sisters, Chrissie, Kathy and Marianne.

I looked around at these four girls and I felt so lucky. I didn’t have any siblings and they’d welcomed me in like I was one of their own. In fact, with our dark hair and eyes, strangers often thought we were related.

So when the man behind the counter handed me two pairs of shoes and said, “These are your sister’s,” I wasn’t surprised.

Margaret and I both smiled. “No,” Margaret said. “She’s just my friend.”

We could tell he didn’t believe us. We had absolutely no idea that 35 years later we would find out he was actually right.

I always knew I was adopted. My amazing mum and dad were honest with me from the start, and I grew up in a loving and happy home.

But like many only children, I’d get lonely sometimes. I’d have loved to be surrounded by the noise and chaos of a big family.

I was 11 years old when I met Chrissie. We were in the same year at school. She was a lot of fun and we became good mates, but it was when I met her 13-year-old sister Margaret that I knew I’d met a friend for life.

Even though she was two years older than me, we were inseparable. We’d spend hours doing makeovers, going on cinema trips and hanging out at each other’s houses.