Long lost relatives connect in Bradenton on Mother’s Day weekend for the first time

Joanne Lombardi Giordano lived 69 years of her life thinking she was an only child. That is, until she discovered the family she never had.

It was 1949 in a Brooklyn hospital when Giordano’s biological parents made the heart-wrenching decision to put a baby that they couldn’t afford up for adoption.

Her new parents told her she was adopted, but it wasn’t until a few years after her adopted parents died that she learned the names of her birth parents, kicking off a yearslong search for lost family. This weekend in Bradenton, she finally met five of her siblings.

“It’s the journey from not even knowing you had a family to finding out you had one all along,” said Giordano, a Florida resident who lives in Lakewood Park, a few miles south of Vero Beach on the east coast.

The first major breakthrough in her search for lost family came in 2011 when a relative passed on an envelope containing the original copy of her adoption records. It revealed the ages of her parents, sparking hope that they might still be alive.

With the help of her daughter Dawn, who she describes as “an amateur detective” and “a Facebook queen,” Giordano’s search was on to find any clues about where they might be today. A public document with her mother’s maiden name on it was the spark they needed to discover even more clues about their family’s whereabouts.

By the end of 2018, Dawn felt confident enough to reach out to one of her uncles on Facebook, explaining the connection they may have. The news spread like wildfire to all of his siblings, who were not aware that their parents had given up a child for adoption, and they agreed to meet on Mother’s Day weekend in Bradenton, where one of the siblings lives.

“I really feel like it’s a dream,” Theresa said of connecting with a new sister. “I feel like I’m going to wake up.”

Some of the other siblings called the connection a “divine intervention from God.” Last year, they mourned the death of their eldest sister, Kathleen. Less than a year later, they found a new one.

“We lost a sister and God gave us another one,” said Theresa, who lives in Bradenton. “I’m sure Kathleen is smiling down on us right now because this is a miracle.”

Giordano is already fitting in with the brothers and sisters she never knew. In the little time they’ve been together, she’s noticed many similarities, including their mannerisms, sense of humor and taste in music. According to her siblings, her voice sounds exactly like their late mother’s, who passed in 2004.

“It’s amazing how many things we share,” said Marisa, who lives in Rhode Island.

Most of the family is in town for the week, and they’ll spend time bonding with a healthy mix of Anna Maria Island beaches and board games, they said. Dawn, who lives in Middleburg, about 20 miles southwest of Jacksonville, said she already feels like she’s at home with her new aunts and uncles.

“I came, but I was so nervous. I thought ‘I don’t know these people. How is it going to be?’ But I feel like I’ve known them my whole life,” Dawn said.

On Mother’s Day, the family plans on attending service at Bayside Community Church before traveling as a family to visit their mother’s grave site in Largo. After 69 years, Giordano has the chance to see her mom again.

“It’ll be the most memorable Mother’s Day ever,” Giordano said.

This story was originally published May 11, 2019 at 2:11 PM.