Women who were best friends for 16 YEARS discover they are long-lost sisters



Two best friends who have known each other 16 years have made an amazing discovery: they are sisters.



Alison Slavin, 41, and Sam Davies, 43, found they share the same father after adopted child Alison tracked down her biological mother.



The pair from Bristol never suspected they were related despite living remarkably similar lives - they look alike, have similar taste in clothes, both work as childminders, have two children and live less than a mile apart.



Alison made the discovery when a friend helped her trace her birth mother, who revealed her natural father was called Terry Cox.

She immediately recognised it as the name of Sam's father - and DNA tests later confirmed the pair are half sisters.

Sister act: Best friends for 16 years, the women from Bristol made the surprise discovery they are half-sisters after Alison, right, tracked down her birth mother

Alison - who was a bridesmaid at Sam's wedding - said: 'We had joked in the past we were sisters as people used to always ask us if we were, saying we looked alike.

'But I was shocked to find out we were actually half sisters. I could not get hold of Sam by phone so I texted her the words "Hello Sis".

'An hour later I phoned and explained everything and she was so excited.

'I was adopted from birth and never looked into my natural parents because I had a lovely and fantastic childhood so I didn't feel the need.'

The pair met in 1993 through a mutual friend and soon became best friends, going to a karaoke night twice a week.

Having had a happy upbringing with her adoptive parents, Alison felt no need to trace her birth family - until she got talking to a friend in February this year who said she may know how to trace her birth mother.

A few weeks later the friend supplied a phone number and Alison boldly got in touch in March before being reunited days later.

Alison said she nervously met her mother - who she does not want to name - after getting in touch by telephone, but never expected this second twist in the tale.

She said: 'She told me she was 19 when she put me up for adoption and gave me the news that my biological father was Terry Cox.

Alison says she recognised the name instantly as being the same as Sam's father's, but only let herself believe that it must be pure coincidence.



'I felt the colour drain from my face: that was Sam's biological father's name. In all of Bristol, what were the chances of this being the same chap as Sam's father - but he was.

Sam was as shocked as Alison, but immediately contacted her father to share the news.



'Sam accepted the news straight away and even got in touch with Terry on Facebook to tell him. He lives in Spain but he requested me as a friend on Facebook.

'Two weeks ago we had DNA tests back which confirmed we are related. Both of us have had happy childhoods so I suppose this is just the icing on the cake.'

Sam's surprise at the news quickly turned to elation.



She said: 'When Alison texted me telling me we were sisters a tiny part of me thought she was joking but a bigger part of me thought, "Oh my God".

'After the initial shock I spoke to Alison and she explained everything I just thought, "Wow."

'I had always wanted a sister, and what better sister could I have than my best friend?



'Second to getting married and giving birth to my children, it was the most exciting thing I have ever been told.

'It's sad we didn't find out sooner but you can't change what's happened. We're just absolutely thrilled we have found out now.'



The sisters have now bought a charm bracelet each from Links of London to commemorate their discovery.

Sam said: "Alison had one and I loved it so I got one and recently we went out and bought matching charms to signify us finding out we are sisters.





