Redondo Beach Woman Put Up For Adoption At Birth Reunites With Long-Lost Sister

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — A Redondo Beach woman who was put up for adoption at birth recently reunited with a sister she never knew she had.

Hillary Merriman, 63, said her biological mother, Cora Williams, who was a 22-year-old single waitress, gave her up the day after she was born because she wanted her child to have a better life.

Unbeknownst to Hillary, however, Williams went on to have two more daughters, which included a girl named Sharon.

Hillary said she searched and hoped all of her life to find her blood relatives.

Finally, when she turned 35, her parents said they would give her the adoption papers on one condition.

"I did promise them….that I would not search for my birth mother until my parents passed," said Hillary.

Last year, Hillary went on Ancestry.com and tracked down some cousins, who led her to Sharon's son through Facebook.

"He said, 'Mom, they say you have a sister that you don't know about.' I was like, 'I'm on the highway, I'm going to have to call you back,'" said Sharon.

Once the shocking news settled in, Sharon discovered a baby picture of Hillary.

Sharon and Hillary met for the first time last December in Las Vegas, where Sharon lives.

"It was a great reception," said Sharon.

"It was magical. It was like a dream come true," said Hillary. "I couldn't jump on a plane fast enough to go meet her."

The sisters said they share the same sense of humor and the same crystal blue eyes.

After their reunion, they said their eyes have never seen so many tears.

"The crying are good tears, very good tears," said Hillary.