When I looked back on my childhood, I consider myself extremely lucky to have grown up in the same home as my siblings.

So much of my youth was spent playing with my brothers; even the bickering and occasional fights we had have provided colorful memories that I look back on fondly now.

I’m also well aware that such an arrangement – having all my siblings under the same roof – isn’t a luxury afforded to all. In some cases brothers and sisters are separated when their parents move apart. In other cases – admittedly rarer and more extreme – an individual can grow up not even knowing they have a sibling!

Just ask Jennifer and Kathleen, two twins from the UK who were torn apart at birth when their mother had to make a truly heartbreaking decision…

Jennifer and Kathleen’s incredible story began over six decades ago, when their biological mother, who was single and unwed, fell pregnant.

As per reports, the young woman already had a son and was living with her parents. When she gave birth to a set of twin girls, she was faced with a decision no mother should ever have to make. Namely, extreme financial constraints and the societal struggles of the time meant that she couldn’t take her babies home with her.

Instead, she was forced to put them up for adoption.

As fate would have it, Jennifer was adopted by a woman who lived just two doors down the road. Kathleen, meanwhile, found a new home a few miles away.

The twins didn’t know this, however, and so though they grew up living in the same small patch of the Earth – in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England – they had no idea how close they were to one another at all times. As per reports, the twins even shared the same dentist!

Jennifer, of course, knew her biological mom as a child, though she was told that the woman was a family friend named “Eva”. When she was 11, a cousin revealed the truth to her – we can only imagine how shocking that must have been.

But while Jennifer was at least in part in the know, Kathleen believed that she was an only child.

That was until a British TV show Long Lost Family got in touch with her. The show aims to reunite long lost family members who have never met one another. Once they got wind of Jennifer and Kathleen’s story, they obviously knew they had to intervene.

Long Lost Family first contacted Kathleen in 2010, thus initiating a journey that would see the now-66-year-old woman discover the truth about her lineage and identity.

Incredibly, Jennifer and Kathleen were brought together for the first time in six decades, and they clicked right away.

Not only did the twins quickly realize they had a lot in common, but they were determined to make up for lost time. Since their very first meeting, the women have continued to see each other regularly, be that a simple coffee date or going on shopping trips together.

What’s more, their respective families go on shared holidays, with Kathleen’s son explaining how her being reunited with her sister has breathed new life into her.

“I’ve thought about Kath every day, ’cause I knew there was somebody out there. It was fantastic meeting her,” Kathleen told Caters Clips.

Watch more about Jennifer and Kathleen’s emotional reunion in the video below:

Wow, I can only imagine how special this encounter must have been for the both of them. If you found this story interesting, you’ll almost certainly like the story below.