An adopted woman found her mum using a DNA site and Facebook after decades of searching - allowing her to reunite with her grandma just days before her death.<br /><br />Rachel Ruiz, 35, always knew she was adopted, and was given information about her birth mum - including a handwritten letter - on her 18th birthday.<br /><br />But it contained limited information, and after unsuccessful online searches and attempts to unseal her records, she was no closer to finding her other family.<br /><br />She eventually turned to ancestory.com and while her messages to relatives went unanswered, it led her to her grandfather's obituary. <br /><br />Rachel tracked down her birth mum, Angie Howard, 52, on Facebook - and knew instantly it was a match due to their similar appearance.<br /><br />And on Christmas Day she got a reply to a Facebook message from her delighted birth mum.<br /><br />The pair were reunited - coincidently wearing similar outfits - just in time for Rachel to meet her grandmother, Angie's mum, Mary, 91, just three days before she died.<br /><br />Now Rachel has met her extended family - including half sister who lived a few minutes walk from her home in Lehi, Utah, US. <br /><br />Photographer Rachel said: "It's like a missing piece.<br /><br />"My parents are so amazing and I didn't feel like I needed to find answers to complete myself but I'm so happy I found my birth family."<br /><br />Rachel was adopted AT two weeks old by dad Brent, 65, and mum Marianne, 60.<br /><br />"My parents that adopted me have always been super open," she said.<br /><br />"When I turned 18 and my parents had some things to give that my birth mum asked them to give me on my 18th birthday. check <br /><br />"They gave this beautiful crocheted blanket she made me, she had a baby ring when she was born - a beautiful gold ring - and a written letter which said 'you were with me for nine months. I will never forget you, I hope one day we will meet'."<br /><br />Rachel received adoption papers, and while sections were blanked out, she discovered she was born in Louisiana with the surname Deveraux.<br /><br />She searched on Facebook but couldn't find family members, and later turned to ancestory.com in 2014, where she had a few DNA matches.<br /><br />She messaged Richard Deveraux but she didn't receive a response.<br /><br />No closer to finding family, Rachel went before a judge in 2017 but was unsuccessful in attempts to get her records unsealed. <br /><br />Rachel said: "It was another disappointing road block - I kind of gave up after that point."<br /><br />In 2022, Rachel studied her adoption papers again, with husband Felix, 33, and spotted something she hadn't noticed.<br /><br />She said: "It said my grandfather was a professor at.....and there was a blank. <br /><br />"I was born in Louisiana so I thought it said LSU but my husband said it looked like a bigger acronym. <br /><br />"I could just about make out what it said underneath and it read UVCC - standing for Utah Valley Community College.<br /><br />"I Googled Richard Deveraux UVCC and his obituary came up."<br /><br />It included six children - including three daughters who she found on Facebook.
