ELWOOD, Ind. (WXIN) — A woman in Elwood, Indiana, who was adopted at birth, was determined to learn more about her biological family; that journey led her to find her twin, who lived six blocks away from her.
A state law that went into effect almost three years ago allows any resident adopted by January 1, 1994, to request access to their birth records. Karen Warner obtained documents from the Indiana State Department of Health to learn more about her medical history. Then she discovered she had a twin.
“I got to thinking maybe that is what I was missing in my whole entire life was the twin, and I just didn’t know it, and I didn’t want to feel that emptiness anymore,” she said.
Because she did not have the name of her twin, Warner said a trustee recommended she search through voter registration records.
Warner found three names of men with the same birthday and who were born at the same hospital. Prior research allowed her to cross off two names. The third person was Michael Jackman.
Jackman and Warner went to middle school and high school together in Elwood. They both were in the band; he played the drums, and she played the clarinet. They never knew they were related until now.
“I friend him on Facebook a few months before this. We were just friends from school. That was it,” Warner said.
She asked him if he was adopted; Jackman responded and said yes. He also said his family name was Cunningham. It was the same family name as Warner.
“I was overwhelmed. Let’s put it that way,” Jackman said.
After a long six weeks of waiting, a DNA test through Ancestry.com confirmed they were twins. They found each other at 51 years old, and they only live six blocks apart.
“I feel like something was missing, and now she is here,” Jackman said.
“I thought if I could find him that would fill that void, and it did,” Warner said.
Now Warner and Jackman hang out every day. They have since learned they have three half-siblings.