Before you take one of those at-home DNA tests, you should prepare yourself to possibly get some new information about your extended family you were not expecting. DNA kits have been instrumental in solving murder cases and alerting family members of siblings they never knew they had. Thankfully, in Carol Simpson’s case, it was the latter.
Carol discovered she had a sister and brother. She reached out to Marisa Sullivan, and the pair instantly hit it off. The sister she never knew she had became exactly what she needed, and the feeling was mutual.
Carol waited to contact Marisa until she felt the time was right. Marisa was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2019, and Carol did not want to interfere with her recovery.
“I felt you had enough on your plate and needed to focus your energy elsewhere,” Carol said.
Carol and Marisa’s father, Tim Sullivan, died of AIDS in 1986. While this was a shock to his family, he was known to be "sexually free" and nonmonogamous. Carol was conceived before Marisa’s parents were a couple. Marisa always wanted to talk about her father more because she loved him, but her brother grieved him differently and did not want to discuss him. Finding Carol gave Marisa the perfect person to share stories about her beloved father with.
Tim lives on in all of his children, even if they are very different people. Carol is retired from the military, living in rural Missouri. She is incredibly warm and generous, like her father. Marisa is a health advocate and entertainment reporter in New York City. She loves adventure, like her old man. When Marisa hugs Carol’s son, DJ, it is just like hugging her dad.
Marisa is so happy Carol found her. “When I’m struggling with a decision, she’s one of the first people I call. Carol always picks up on the first ring,” she gushed.
To learn more about Marisa’s red carpet life, watch this video.
