Over the course of her 30s, Nicola Redmond went from the only child of adoptive parents to meeting six of her nine long-lost siblings. 

Speaking on Lunchtime Live today, 51-year-old Ms Redmond said she knew from a “very young age” that she was adopted. 

“It was never a big issue,” she said. “We actually used to celebrate what we called my adoption day. 

“I just presumed [the birth mother] was somebody who got pregnant, couldn’t keep the child and gave me up for adoption. 

“I didn’t think there would be others out there.” 

Meeting long-lost siblings

In 2006, Ms Redmond received a call from her adoption agency that they had made a recent discovery. She had a brother. 

“All the [adoption] records had started to become computerised – when it was computerised it clicked to them that it was the same mother.” 

After sending letters to each other, Ms Redmond and her brother had the opportunity to meet, where “even the social worker was surprised that the eyes were the same and facial expressions were similar”. 

“We clicked, but as it would be when you’re in your 30s, we kept in touch but didn’t see one another regularly,” Ms Redmond explained. 

“He’s actually godfather to my daughter now... we connected very well.” 

'We made a bet'

In 2012, after Ms Redmond got sick and tried to access her birth records, she and her brother received another call from the adoption agency. 

“We were kind of guessing going into it there was definitely another sibling,” she said. 

“I guessed one and my brother guessed two and we put a tenner on it. 

“[The social worker] sat us down [and] said, ‘There’s no easy way to say this – we found six more siblings that were given up for adoption’. 

“We kind of both sat there and said, ‘Well... we both lost that bet’.” 

'You wouldn't connect like other siblings'

A few months later, another was found, bringing the total number so far to nine long-lost siblings. 

The adoption agency informed all the siblings that there was further information available about their birth families. So far, six siblings, including Ms Redmond, have met. 

“We met up for dinner and all got on quite well,” Ms Redmond said. “We kept in touch, but not that much. 

“You wouldn’t connect the way siblings who grew up together connect.” 

Birth mother

Ms Redmond and her long-lost siblings know that their birth mother is alive. She does not want contact with any of them. 

“One of the brothers did try and follow it up, but I know she did say she doesn’t want any contact,” Ms Redmond said. 

“The social workers said it would be a mental health issue because, you know, giving up nine children for adoption... they don’t want to push. 

“The only thing we do know because of DNA stuff – we're 99% sure we all have different fathers.” 

Ms Redmond reached out to Lunchtime Live after hearing Helen Ward share her story of meeting her own long-lost siblings.