A Texas woman has found her long lost brother thanks to a serendipitous post on Craigslist, ABC News reports.
For most of their lives, neither Lori McInturff nor Matt Beaumont knew of the other's existence. Siblings by birth, the two have never met in person.
According to KCBD News, McInturff, 50, was adopted when she was three days old and has long wanted to learn more about her biological family.
After years of searching, McInturff tracked down her original birth certificate late last year. She learned that both her biological parents had passed away, but that she had a brother.
"When I heard 'full blood brother', I made it my mission. I was going to find him," McInturff, who lives in Levelland, Tex., told ABC.
Armed with a name, an age, a photograph she'd found on the Internet and some inkling of his location, McInturff began to look for her brother -- a 48-year-old man called Matt Beaumont who possibly lived in British Columbia, Canada.
Last month, her expectations low, McInturff decided to post an ad on Craigslist, EverythingLubbock.com reports.
"I thought, that's a stupid idea, no one is ever going to read that. I clicked on Canada and all these towns came up, so I just picked one," McInturff told KCBD. She picked the town of Victoria.
McInturff said that what happened next was nothing less than "a god-given miracle".
Within two hours of her post, McInturff received an email. It was Matt Beaumont. The email's subject: "You found me!"
According to EverythingLubbock.com, Beaumont's friend had seen the Craigslist post and told him about it. Immediately, Beaumont -- who had no idea that he had a sister named Lori -- sent her the email introducing himself.
Since then, the siblings have spent hours video-chatting over the Internet, catching up on almost five decades of lost time and marveling at their many similarities -- from sharing the same cheekbones to the same phobias.
"I can't even explain the completeness -- I'm 50 years old and I'm finally complete," McInturff told ABC.
"To have Lori finally find me and close that circle -- that was the greatest thing that's ever happened to me in my life," Beaumont added.
According to KCBD, McInturff has sent a thank you note to Craigslist in recognition of the central role the website played in helping her find her brother.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.