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Melissa Sherwood has known since she was 10 years old that she had an older sister who’d been put up for adoption as a baby. 

Her mother, Linda, had always wanted to find the child she was forced to give away; however, an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis when she was just 57 years old meant she was unable to take on the search. 

So in tonight’s episode of Long Lost Family, Melissa, 36, will finish what her mum always wanted to do and find her older sister, Rachel, before it’s too late.

‘I know how much [finding Rachel] means to mum,’ Melissa explained. ‘If she was able to meet Rachel.’If it’s something that can give her some kind of comfort, in some way, that’ll be really positive for all of us.’

Linda was 15 years old when she discovered she was pregnant and ‘she had no idea what to do,’ Melissa said. 

Fearing the stigma that having a child out of wedlock would bring on the family, Linda was sent away to a mother and baby home run by nuns.

In November 1976, Linda gave birth to Rachel and got to spend nine days with her daughter before someone came to take her away. 

‘She’d never have given her up if she had the choice,’ Melissa claimed. 

Using confidential records, ITV managed to locate Rachel, who had been adopted and renamed Abigail, known as Abbey. 

Upon being contacted, Abbey responded immediately, keen to learn more about her birth mother and family who’d been on her mind since she was a teenager. 

‘All my grandparents had Alzheimer’s and dementia,’ said Abbey when presenter Nicky Campbell apologised for her birth mother’s diagnosis. ‘I know how difficult it can be.’

Upon seeing a photo of Linda when she was younger, a sobbing Abbey said ‘that’s incredible’ before saying ‘I’ve wanted to see that for so long’.

Reading a letter from Melissa, a lost-for-words Abbey broke down in tears, telling Nicky, ‘this is going to be the start of something amazing’. 

Meanwhile, Davina McCall sat down with a teary Melissa and told her they tracked down Abbey and that she wanted to meet her family. 

In heartrending scenes, the two sisters meet and immediately hit it off, embracing and laughing like old friends. 

‘Mum always wanted to meet you,’ Melissa told Abbey. ‘I’m sad you won’t know what she used to be like.’

A smiling Abbey, however, replied: ‘You can fill me in on the bits she can’t.’ 

‘This is a huge thing for me,’ she continued. I’m so grateful that you’ve tried to find me because I never thought this day would happen. I hope it’s the start of something really, really amazing.’

After their reunion, Linda was then brought in and introduced to Abbey. As Linda smiled at the sight of the daughter taken from her 50 years ago, Abbey said, ‘It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m so pleased to meet you.’

‘Meeting my mum was extraordinary,’ Abbey said. ‘I hope she’s got some comfort from it.’

Long Lost Family continues on Thursday 10th September at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. 


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