A 75-year-old man, adopted at three months old and who had always believed he was an only child, recently met his biological family for the first time. He called the reunion with his siblings a Christmas miracle.
According to CNN, Dixon Handshaw, from North Carolina, flew to Rochester, New York, on Tuesday to meet his long-lost siblings at the airport. The emotional reunion included over 50 relatives, many of whom he hadn’t known existed until earlier this year. Handshaw, who has no children of his own, shared that he had never met anyone with whom he shared DNA. Upon meeting his biological family, he immediately felt a deep connection.
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1949, Handshaw was adopted at just three months old. His adoptive parents were always open about his adoption, but he had always longed to find his birth family. However, due to New York state laws at the time, it was impossible to access pre-adoption birth certificates. After a 2019 law amendment, Handshaw could finally view his birth certificate in August 2023, which revealed his biological father’s name. A simple Google search of the name led him to an obituary—and in a surprising twist, Handshaw was struck by how much he resembled the man in the photo.
Although the reasons for his adoption remain unclear, Handshaw discovered that his biological father had been a graduate student in physics at Cornell University, while his mother worked as a department secretary. His birth father later married another woman, with whom he had a blended family of five children—four sons and one daughter, including three adopted children. Handshaw then contacted one of his adopted brothers, Gary Romig, introducing himself as a long-lost sibling.
When Handshaw sent Romig a photo of himself, Romig immediately recognized their father’s features. The rest of the family reportedly shouted “Dad!” when they saw the striking resemblance between Handshaw and their late father.
Although they won’t be spending Christmas together, the newly reunited family plans to go camping next summer. Reflecting on his emotional journey, Handshaw said, “I had great adoptive parents. They were wonderful. I love them, and I miss them, but I always wanted siblings, and now I have them.”