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Grace and a DNA test lead to unlikely family reunion in New Orleans

"I was in shock. It was unbelievable because for 56 years, I was the only child."

Valerie Martinez once was lost, but now she's found.

"I thought I was an only child," she said.

That's how she felt for 56 years. Valerie moved to New Orleans when she was 3. She was raised in foster care and eventually adopted in the city.

"What I thought from the adoption, the information they gave, all of that was not true," Valerie said. "I was literally stolen from my family."

A friend convinced Valerie to trace her ancestry by taking a DNA test with a company called 23 and Me.

At the same time, Tina Martinez was also taking a similar DNA test in Chicago.

"I saw a picture of her as a toddler and that alerted me 'I got a sister and I've got to find her' because nobody would give me any information," Tina said.

The DNA test results came back in April and sure enough, they showed Valerie was Tina's long lost sister.

"I still feel like I'm in a dream because I wanted this so much," Tina said. "I started at 16 (looking for her)...I'm 60 now. So, it's been a long journey."

But wait, there's more for Valerie.

"I called my oldest daughter Leah and I said, 'Leah, remember I took the DNA test?' " Valerie said. "She was like, 'yeah.' I said 'Guess what?' And, she said, 'What?' I said, 'I got nine sisters and a brother.' She was like, 'Get out of here.' "

This weekend, many of the Chicago Martinezes made the trip south to New Orleans for a long overdue family reunion.

All of the family members wore yellow t-shirts with the names of all the siblings, Brenda, Cheryl, Tina, Valerie, Nicky, Debra, Carmen, Toosie, Bubba, Lulu, Angie making up a family tree with their mother Marie as the root of the tree.

"I was dumbfounded," Valerie said. "I was in shock. It was unbelievable because for 56 years, I was the only child."

"I can look at her face," Tina said. "She looks the rest of my sisters. The family is complete now."

Grace and a DNA test led them home.

"I was lost, but now I'm found," Valerie said.

Five of the Martinez siblings weren't able to make the reunion in New Orleans. Family members are already planning the next get together in Chicago this December.

Paul Murphy can be reached at pmurphy@wwltv.com.

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