Biological Sisters Meet For First Time After 60 years

A pair of biological sisters met for the first time in an emotional embrace having never met each other in over 60 years. Karen Klein Shekels, 61, was given up for adoption just a few weeks after she was born, and her sister, Dianna Herr Croskey, 59, did not know of her existence until she turned 20. Incredibly, Karen's biological father, Dale Herr, was not aware that Karen had been given away until after she had been born. Dale, 86, was dating Dianna's mother, Daneen Herr, when she fell pregnant and, without Dale's knowledge, Daneen was taken from her home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to stay in a home for unwed mothers in Florida. The stay was arranged by Dianna's grandmother, who wintered in Florida, and after giving birth to Karen, the baby was put up for adoption after Daneen had spent six weeks in the home. When Daneen returned she later wed Dale but did not inform him of their firstborn daughter until the couple's honeymoon. Due to the closed records involved in the case, Dale, Daneen, Dianna and her brother David did not know what became of Karen for decades. But in June of 2020, Dianna's third cousin, Ryan Schafer, ran a DNA test through Ancestry.com and matched with a cousin in Alabama. After the incredible breakthrough, Dianna and Karen agreed to meet at Dale's home in Wexford, Pennsylvania. The emotional reunion took place on June 20, with Karen, Dianna and Dale's going in for an emotional hug.

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