Born Giancarlo Lavi in Turin, Italy, in 1952, Carlo spent his first five years in a church after being abandoned at birth. He was later adopted by an American family. Throughout his upbringing, he remained unaware of his birth parents' identities or the reasons for his abandonment.

Carlo later married Debra Arco, built a career, and settled in New York. A stroke left him partially paralyzed and caused significant speech difficulties. This decline in health spurred his determination to uncover his roots.

Debra spent months contacting authorities in Italy and searching records, but without success. She then suggested her husband try an at-home DNA test.

The results, received when Carlo was 66, revealed he had a half-brother named Angelo Iuppa, living in Sicily, Italy.

(From left) Carlo, his half-brother Angelo, and Debra, Carlo's wife, during their first meeting in New York, US. *Photo: People*

Before their initial video call, Angelo prepared a long list of questions. When Carlo appeared on screen, Angelo recognized features similar to his late father. "I saw your face, and it felt very familiar even though we had never met. Carlo was no longer just a DNA match or a stranger; he was truly my brother," Angelo said.

Following the test results, Carlo connected with approximately 50 relatives in Italy, including five siblings. Angelo and his son, Marco, later flew from Sicily to New York to meet him. Together, they pieced together information about Carlo's origins and family connections.

Angelo continued researching public archives and successfully identified Carlo's birth mother.

However, Carlo did not make it back to Italy. He passed away in November 2023. After the funeral, Debra and her daughter, Dana Arco, traveled to Italy to meet their relatives and visit the places associated with Carlo's first five years of life. The trip helped Dana understand more about her father's origins and connect with relatives thousands of kilometers away. Dana stated that her father had found answers to his lifelong questions before his passing.

In his final hours in the hospital, the family called Angelo in Sicily. Carlo used his remaining strength to say, "I love you very much, brother." He passed away hours after the call.

Currently, the two families maintain regular contact and plan future visits.

Ngoc Ngan (According to People)