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Tuesday evening, 59-year-old Denise Wildeman was standing at the airport gates trying to control her breathing.
“I’m so antsy.”
When Denise’s sister, 41-year-old Heather Cintron, walked out of the airport gates and into Denise’s arms, tears were flowing.
“18 years I looked for you and I didn’t stop,” Denise told her sister.
The meeting was so emotional because even though they are sisters, this is first time ever they were able to hug.
Denise and Heather share the same dad and they said he had at least six children.
Denise was born in 1964, and grew up in New Brunswick. Denise’s mom passed when she was just 12 years-old and she didn’t know much about her dad. She didn’t meet him until she was much older and had two kids of her own.
After her dad passed away, Denise learned she had a half sister who lived in the U.S. Heather was born in 1982, and was 12-years-old at the time. Both raised by single moms, Denise felt an instant connection to her. She reached out, only to be pushed away.
“Finding out her mother wouldn’t let anyone in my father’s side of the family to see her, including my father,” Denise said.
“It was just me and my mom all the time,” Heather said.
Denise gave Heather her email and told her she would never change it. But eventually Heather forgot the email and Denise could not get in touch. They lost track of each other for 18 years. One day, Denise decided to google Heather’s name and it came up with her married last name. Denise searched on Facebook and knew it was her sister.
“I saw her face and I started crying and I said that’s her,” Denise said.
“Then we FaceTimed. Oh my goodness, we cried so much,” Heather said.
“It almost felt like a piece of me was missing because this is what I had always longed for,” Denise said.
The pair said they talk every day, and can’t believe the similarities they share. They love purple, wearing several pandora bracelets at once, and also watching baseball together.
The connection feels even more special, Heather said she lost her mom a few years ago, and doesn’t have any relatives on her mom’s side still alive.
“It means the world to think you’re not the only one anymore — you have somebody else,” Heather said.
While she is in Edmonton, Denise will introduce Heather to her sons and plans to take her around the city. The hope is Denise can visit Heather in Florida and meet her husband and kids.
“We’re not alone,” Heather said.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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