Metro Atlanta man finds out he has long-lost sister 7 decades later

ATLANTA, Ga. — A Sandy Springs man just got the surprise of his life 70 years after the fact: He learned he has a long-lost sister.

Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen talked to Marc Seltzer, who never knew he had another sister and a brother. It took seven decades to finally meet his surviving sibling.

Seltzer said he has always been the type who doesn’t like surprises.

“I got a phone call from my niece, my sister’s daughter,” Seltzer said. “She says, ‘Uncle Marc, I hope you’re sitting down.’ She says, ‘You have a sister you’ve never met.’ I just got goosebumps all over my body.”

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When Seltzer was just 5 years old, he was sent to live with his grandparents in New York City. During that time, his mother gave birth to twins and placed them up for adoption.

Sara Drapkin-Ott is one of the twins. Her twin brother died when he was in his 30s.

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Drapkin-Ott lives in Colorado now, but thanks to a DNA ancestry test, she found Seltzer.

“There she was. It was an incredibly emotional moment,” Seltzer said. “We just hugged and kissed, like we were truly long-lost brother and sister.”

Robie Seltzer, Mark Seltzer’s wife, said there is no doubt Drapkin-Ott is part of the family.

“And when I met her, she had such similarities to Marc’s mother,” Robie Seltzer said.

It has been 70 years, but Marc Seltzer said each day is more precious than ever.

“Life is amazing. You never know when something is gonna pop out of the clear blue and sometimes they are wonderful things,” Seltzer said. “And that’s exactly what this is.”

The siblings are getting together again in July and then for Thanksgiving.

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Ancestry.com adds records to improve online searches for descendants of slaves Ancestry.com is adding records to improve online searches for descendants of slaves. Even with the new information, researchers may still face roadblocks. (WSB-TV)