The miracle next door

Adopted as an infant, Hillary Harris spent years searching for her half-sisters. But just when she thought she’d never find that missing piece of her heart, a miracle appeared—right in her own driveway!

“Love isn’t something you find. Love is something that you.” finds LORETTA YOUNG

Hillary Harris gazed out the window of her Eau Claire, Wisconsin, home, hoping to catch a glimpse of her new neighbors. Hillary hadn’t met the couple yet. But her husband, Lance, had run into them in their shared driveway.

“His name is Kurt. And her name . . . you’re not going to believe this,” he told Hillary. “Her name is Dawn . . . and she’s from Greenwood.”

Hillary stared at Lance in stunned silence. Then she stammered, “There’s no way it could be her, right? I’ve been searching for so long. What are the chances?”

But in her heart, Hillary felt a flicker of hope as she thought, What if she’s the sister I’ve spent so many years looking for?

Against all odds

Hillary had always known she was adopted and felt blessed to have parents who filled her life with love. Of course, she’d wondered about her biological family, but it wasn’t until she’d married in 2011 and became pregnant with her daughter, Stella, that Hillary felt the pull to learn more about her family history.

After contacting her adoption agency, Hillary discovered hers had been an open adoption. So she was able to receive her entire file, which provided her birth mother’s name and contact information. But tears filled Hillary’s eyes after finding a 2010 obituary for her father, Wayne Clouse. I’ll never get the chance to know him, she thought sadly. But her heart soared when she read that he’d had two daughters, Renee Clouse and Dawn Johnson of Greenwood. I have sisters! Hillary smiled.

With help from Facebook, Hillary enjoyed a heartwarming reunion with her birth mother and even two half brothers. But while she’d found many Renees and Dawns on social media and in her online searches, none were her long-lost sisters.

For five years, Hillary had looked for her sisters, but every time she’d hit a dead end.

So when she learned her neighbor was named Dawn, and she was from Greenwood, Hillary tried not to get her hopes up. This is silly, Hillary told herself. I don’t even know my neighbor’s last name.

Still, as she’d see Dawn come and go, Hillary noted that Dawn had the same blonde curly hair she had. And, in the coming days, as they’d chat in the driveway, Hillary would study Dawn’s face, looking for a similarity to her own. Hillary even casually mentioned she’d been adopted but didn’t see any recognition in Dawn’s eyes.

Then, one day in August of 2017, Hillary was outside when roof shingles were dropped off in their shared driveway. Glancing at the shipping label, Hillary gasped. It said . . . Dawn JOHNSON. It is her, Hillary marveled. My sister moved in right next door!

A joyful discovery

To be absolutely sure, Hillary sent Dawn a text, using details from her father’s obituary to get more information. “Were you Miss Loyal Cornfest Queen?” Hillary texted. “Yes,” Dawn replied. Her heart pounding, Hillary typed, “What is your father’s name?” The room spun as she read, “Wayne Clouse, but sadly, he passed away.” Oh, my God. It really is her! Hillary trembled, and texted, “We have a lot to talk about. Can I call you?” When Dawn answered, Hillary asked, “So, remember I told you I was adopted . . . ”

“We have the same dad, don’t we?” Dawn blurted. Though Dawn hadn’t known her father had another daughter, Hillary’s questions after sharing she’d been adopted helped her put two-and-two together. “We’re sisters!” Hillary exclaimed. The two laughed and cried, relishing the miracle unfolding between them.

The next morning, Dawn went to Hillary’s house with a bouquet of flowers and a stack of family photos. “Hi, sis!” Dawn beamed. And the two women shared their very first hug as sisters.

“I can already feel the love between us!” Hillary laughed through happy tears.

Since that day, Hillary, 31, and Dawn, 50, have shared many special moments, including a happy reunion with Renee. And they both still marvel at the twist of fate that brought them all together.

“To think an asphalt driveway could work such a miracle,” Dawn smiles.

“Family means everything, and I just couldn’t give up hope on finding mine,” Hillary says. “Having my sisters in my life makes me grateful beyond words— and has made me a true believer in miracles!”

— Diane Nichols