Elliana was orphaned in China for years before she was adopted by Jim Maneage and his wife, Staci.
“We knew she was ours right away,” said Staci, as she recalled seeing her would-be daughter for the first time.
The Missouri couple made Elliana feel at home, and soon, she was a part of the Maneage family.
The Maneages were members of Calvary Church in St. Peters, where they met a family that had also adopted a little girl from China. The parents were named Steve and Paige Galbierz and their daughter’s name was Kinley.
Elliana, 10, and Kinley, 7, became fast friends, living in the same town and attending the same school together.
That was when Staci hatched an idea. Maybe the two girls weren't just friends and schoolmates. Could their connection be deeper than that?
Staci wondered if the girls were related in some way, just from their interactions and circumstances. She went to her husband with the idea to compare Elliana and Kinley's DNA.
“The girls are from different towns and different orphanages. It's just — no way,” Jim stated, remembering his initial thoughts of a DNA test for the girls.
Due to the high volume of orphans in China, children's pasts are usually unknown. There was no way to find out if the two girls were related other than referring to their DNA.
Despite their doubts, both families went through with the test.
In a surprising turn, Staci's hunch was proven correct. Elliana and Kinley were a 99.9% match.
The two little girls were schoolmates, friends, and now half-sisters!
Living only three minutes away from each other, these families proved that anything is possible.
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