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Biological family reunion 49 yrs later
After taking a DNA test from Ancestry.com, Leah Cartwright was reconnected with her biological family.
YPSILANTI, Mich. - Adopted at birth, Leah Cartwright was reunited with her biological family after 49 years.
She was given an Ancestry.com kit for her birthday back in 2019. It was set aside and hadn't been sent in until this past February.
Cartwright had little hopes of a positive result, but received one on the site in May.
The match was believed to be a first cousin. She reached out, and the contact replied on August 7th suspecting that she is her biological niece.
"I went to Facebook and looked her up and I'm like that is my grandmother's face. Oh my gosh that is my grandmother's face," said Eden Jemison, her niece.
Cartwright's biological mother lives in Georgia. They facetime each other, but have not met in person yet.
"The first time I saw her I was in shock because her face was my face," said Cartwright.
In her adoptive family she is an only child, but biologically she has three sisters and two brothers. One of her sisters lives in Chicago and the rest of her siblings live in the Detroit area.
"I'm just happy to be connected to them right now," said Cartwright.
Cartwright was born with the name Candice and plans to go by that name from now on.
The reunion, called Candice Day, was on Sept 5 at her brother's home.
Cartwright said because of the strained relationship with her adoptive parents, the reuniting with her siblings feels like she had never left the family she never knew.