Woman uses DNA kit to reunite with mother after nearly 70 years

A 69-year-old woman met her 88-year-old mother for the first time after the mother believed her daughter had died shortly after birth.

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Genevieve Purinton, 88, of Tampa, Florida, always thought she was alone. Her eight siblings died and she had no children, reported WTVT-TV. She gave birth once at age 18 in Gary, Indiana, but was told that the baby didn't survive the delivery. This was not an uncommon practice with unwed mothers at the time.

But Purinton's baby had survived and was adopted by a couple from California. Connie Moultroup, 69, wished from the time she was a little girl to meet her biological mother.

Moultroup is now a massage therapist and resides in Richmond, Vermont.

During the holiday season last year, Moultroup's daughter, Bonnie Chase, gifted her mother an Ancestry DNA testing kit. The results led Moultroup to a distant cousin, who was able to connect Moultroup with Purinton.

On Monday, the two finally reunited in person at Purinton’s home in a retirement community.

"I met my mother and my cousin in person, and we cried. It was just a crying fest," Moultroup told CNN. "Not everybody has this kind of outcome when looking for their parents, but I recommend you give it a try, you don't know what will happen."

Now, Purinton knows she isn't alone. In addition to meeting her daughter, Purinton learned she has a granddaughter and great-grandchildren.

"We're thrilled that Ancestry was able to play a part in helping to connect Genevieve Purinton with her daughter after 69 years," Jasmin Jimenez, a spokeswoman for AncestryDNA, told NBC News. "We wish her and her family the best, and that this is only the beginning of an enduring relationship."

The family reunions will continue in the new year. In January, Moultroup plans to meet two half-sisters from her father's side.

Cox Media Group