The surprising call came in March 2020 to a suburban home in a quiet Lakewood community. “I apologize if this is the wrong person...,” the woman’s voice on the other end started. As 71-year-old Yale Geftic listened, his eyes widened and he yelled for his wife, Nancy, to come to his side.

Geftic was for the first time hearing the voice of a sister he never knew he had. Then, she broke even bigger news to him: She was one of his six half-siblings scattered across the U.S., all of whom share the same mother. In all, 11 relatives were identified.