Utah woman on reunion with long lost sibling in Houston: 'We're so blessed that our story turned out so great'

Twenty years ago, Elia Macha and Joi Clements were toddlers residing at the same orphanage in China.

There was no way the then-young girls knew they were related as they were adopted by different people and lived different lives in different parts of the U.S.

According to a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, DNA testing about three years ago determined that the 21-year-old Macha and the 22-year-old Clements are sisters.

Macha, who's from Spring, was already thrilled from having graduated from Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston but the euphoric feeling was compounded by having her older sister to celebrate the accomplishment with, per the station.

"I kind of knew that there was a possibility that I could find a sister just because we were adopted due to the one-child policy in China," Macha said, according to KTRK. "But we mainly did it for health reasons just to see since I don't know my biological family."

The station reported that the women took online DNA tests for health reasons, with a 23andMe kit ultimately determining that they're sisters.

"We're so blessed that our story turned out so great," Clements told KTRK. "Around adoption, there is sort of mixed feelings sometimes. And so I think just taking it for whatever it is, whatever comes of it, but if you want to know more, there are definitely resources out there to do that, and we're so lucky our situation turned out so wonderful."

The reunited siblings met for the first time in May 2021 when Clements flew to Houston, according to the station.

Clements credited God for what she described is a "huge blessing" and a "miracle."

"It was such divine intervention that it happened at this time and at this place in our lives," the eldest of the pair said, per KTRK. "We get to experience so much of our lives together. We get to, you know, she saw me get married. I get to see her graduate, and I get to eventually see her get married, and we get to grow up and get to be in each other's lives and our future kid's lives."

According to the report, Macha will start her career as a nurse at Houston Methodist while Clements, who lives in Utah with her husband, is looking to complete her studies by next year.