Woman Discovers Indigenous Heritage and Siblings at 35

Cheryl van Wageningen spent her childhood fielding questions about her dark skin, with people guessing she might be Greek, Polynesian, or Fijian. Her adoptive mother, though loving, never talked about her birth family or heritage.

Then at age 35, a letter arrived that answered decades of questions. Link Up SA, an organization helping Indigenous families reconnect, wrote to tell her she had siblings who wanted to meet her and that she was Aboriginal.

The news shocked Cheryl and her family. She'd been adopted as an infant from Kate Cocks Memorial Babies' Home in Brighton, South Australia, with no knowledge of her Peramangk and Ngarrindjeri roots.

After a few days, Cheryl called the agency. The prospect of finally getting answers about her identity felt both comforting and confronting.

When she met her sister Mandy for the first time, the connection was instant and almost eerie. They wore nearly identical outfits and discovered they both played piano in bands.

Cheryl also has a younger brother, Michael. Like Cheryl, he loved running, and the siblings shared countless interests they could have enjoyed growing up together.

All three had been adopted into different families and raised apart. Mandy and Michael also grew up without knowing their birth mother.

The Ripple Effect

Cheryl's reconnection opened doors to a rich cultural heritage she never knew existed. She discovered she was related to Ruby Hunter, a renowned Indigenous singer-songwriter, which inspired her to explore her own musical expression.

Now she composes music incorporating Peramangk and Ngarrindjeri language, part of her siblings' shared passion for reviving their ancestral languages. She's been commissioned to create piano compositions featuring words from both peoples.

As the firstborn daughter of a firstborn daughter, Cheryl also embraces cultural responsibilities, performing Welcomes and Acknowledgements at events. What began as a surprising letter became a journey of cultural connection and family healing.

Though Cheryl never got to meet her birth mother, who passed away before they could connect, she focuses on what she gained. She found siblings who feel like missing pieces of herself, a heritage that explains who she is, and a cultural identity she's proudly reclaiming.