Melissa Sherwood, 36, has always known she had an older sister who was put up for adoption as a baby. Her mother, Linda, had long wished to find the daughter she was forced to give up but was unable to due to an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis when she was 57. In a special episode of Long Lost Family, Melissa will complete her mother’s wish by finding her older sister, Rachel, before it is too late. Linda was just 15 when she discovered she was pregnant and had no idea how to handle the situation. At the time, having a child out of wedlock was heavily stigmatized, and she was sent to a mother and baby home run by nuns. In November 1976, Linda gave birth to Rachel and spent nine days with her daughter before she was taken away. Melissa said her mother would never have given her up if she had the choice. Using confidential records, ITV traced Rachel, who had been adopted and renamed Abigail, known as Abbey. When contacted, Abbey responded immediately, eager to learn more about her birth mother and family, who had been on her mind since she was a teenager. Abbey shared that all her grandparents had Alzheimer’s and dementia, and she understood the difficulty of her mother’s condition. When presenter Nicky Campbell apologized for Linda’s diagnosis, Abbey said, “I know how difficult it can be.” When Abbey saw a photo of Linda from when she was younger, she was overcome with emotion, saying, “That’s incredible,” and adding, “I’ve wanted to see that for so long.” Reading a letter from Melissa, Abbey broke down in tears, telling Nicky, “This is going to be the start of something amazing.” Davina McCall sat with Melissa and told her they had tracked down Abbey and that she wanted to meet her family. In emotional scenes, the two sisters met and immediately bonded, embracing and laughing like old friends. “Mum always wanted to meet you,” Melissa told Abbey. “I’m sad you won’t know what she used to be like.” Abbey responded with hope, saying, “You can fill me in on the bits she can’t.” She added, “This is a huge thing for me. I’m so grateful that you’ve tried to find me because I never thought this day would happen. I hope it’s the start of something really, really amazing.” After their reunion, Linda was brought in and introduced to Abbey. As Linda smiled at the sight of the daughter taken from her 50 years ago, Abbey said, “It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m so pleased to meet you.” Abbey described the meeting as “extraordinary” and hoped Linda had found some comfort. Long Lost Family continues on Thursday, 10th September, at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.