Carmen Wilson and Dawn Wang grew up near each other in Texarkana, Arkansas, and graduated from Arkansas High School in the mid-1980s, within a year of each other. Each woman knew the other, but not intimately. Therefore, it came as a shock to learn, 35 years later, that Carmen and Dawn were actually intimately related as half-sisters. The revelation has been a welcome one for both women.

In 2019, Dawn and her four siblings submitted DNA tests to an online company because they were curious about possible Native American ancestry. “I had not shown any indication of anything Native American through my first two DNA experiments,” Dawn explains. “I wanted to show all of my siblings and Daddy what their ancestral background actually depicted. I chose a third DNA company to test the entire clan of 5 siblings and our Daddy; Mother had passed away two years previously.” When Dawn received the results, she was “blown away.” “My sister and three brothers came up as half-siblings, and our Daddy was linked to all of them, but was not listed as ‘my’ father,” she states. Dawn naturally felt sad and confused. It took her several days to notify her siblings of the results. Most importantly, Dawn wanted to talk with her father and ensure that he was okay with the news that she had learned about her heredity. “I needed him to know, with all of my heart, that I was overwhelmingly grateful, and if possible, in the light of this new knowledge, even more grateful for the love and life he had given me. But mostly, I wanted my Daddy to know that I held him in an even higher echelon of hero Dad, teacher and literally, lifesaver.”

The next step was to investigate family connections further. “After settling in a bit with this new understanding of what had been bestowed upon me,” Dawn continues, “I began to wonder who my biological father might actually be, and would I ever know him? What would he think if I found him?” She researched the most reputable family search results and learned that Ancestry was the most popular choice. “I sent the test off for diagnosis, and I began to pray. I asked the Lord, be it His will, to help me know who my biological father is and for acceptance, should I find him.”

*The top photo in this comparison group shows Dawn and Carmen’s father, Michael, and the bottom photo shows Dawn’s son, Robert. This is a perfect example of the family resemblance*

On September 13, Dawn found answers. Within minutes of receiving the test results and reviewing the “linked family” findings, Dawn learned of two first cousins, both of whom she had never heard, nor did she recognize, their last name. “Then, as I was looking feverishly for a ‘father’ connection, someone ‘pinged’ on the Ancestry messages. She said, ‘Hey, I’m Robin, we’re cousins, as you can see. I saw that your profile picture says that you’re the only blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby out of the bunch. Are you curious as to why?’” Dawn informed her that she was very curious and eager to know.

Robin elaborated that her mother and Dawn’s mother had been friends as teenagers. “She also said that her mom’s younger brother had always been quite taken with my mom. She explained who my father was, and that I had three half-sisters!” Dawn made the connection that she knew Carmen from Arkansas High.

“I reached out to Carmen, April and Kimberly, the three new half-sisters, on Facebook Messenger and waited with bated breath for how they might react. Fingernail biting was definitely involved. I was so excited, anxious and still bewildered over this shocking news that I could barely focus on my normal routine. I could see them all on Facebook, and I was astonished at how similar we all looked!”

Carmen explains that she learned about Dawn while she was on a date in downtown Texarkana with her husband. “I received a call from my other half-sister who told me that we had a ‘new sister’ and that her name was Dawn. During that conversation, I was able to remember that Dawn and I had been in school together and that she was a grade ahead of me. I immediately got on Facebook, and there was a message from Dawn introducing herself and her discovery that we were half-sisters.”

*Michael Palmore, Carmen and Dawn’s father, in 1996, a year before he passed away.*

Despite Dawn’s fears of rejection, Carmen was happy to learn about her new sibling, after the initial surprise wore off. The two women began to contact each other regularly. Dawn had already learned from Robin that their biological father had passed, so she describes her reunion with Carmen as “bittersweet.” “The most obvious answers on my prayers to God of knowing or meeting my biological father were already answered. I actually had known my biological father! He was a friend of my family. I knew him from the time I was about 12-18! Such a kind and happy fellow he was, too. I’m so grateful that I knew him. First as a friend; now as a father.” Dawn’s family was also supportive of her as she navigated her new world. “My husband has been overjoyed with me and understanding when I’ve been overwhelmed with questions I want to ask a mother who went to her grave with a secret she never shared.”

Carmen and Dawn have developed a close relationship quickly, texting or messaging each other daily. They met for the first time as “sisters” on November 24. “It was magical and loving,” describes Dawn. “There were a lot of hugs!” Carmen remarks. “It was very exciting to finally get to meet and embrace her after all of the conversations we’ve had prior to meeting in person. It immediately felt normal and relaxed to be around Dawn; she was instantly a part of our family.” Carmen also was excited to learn that she was not the oldest sibling anymore. “For the first time in my life, I had a big sister. In fact, that’s one of my nicknames for her ... ‘Biggie.’”

Carmen (left) and Dawn (right) in their Arkansas High School graduation photos. Although they were in the same school, Dawn was a grade ahead of Carmen. At that time, neither one had a clue that they were sisters.

The photo on the left is Carmen with her daughter, Lauren, and the photo on the right is Dawn’s daughter, Whitney, with her grandparents. Notice how much the girls favor each other.

Feature Stories

Celebrating Sisterhood