Only a few months ago, four Greek Australian siblings who were given up for adoption at birth found each other after 55 years. Born in Sydney between 1968 and 1971, Maria Pittas, Cathie Grissell, James Pappas and Debbie Balsom had lived entire lives apart, unaware of one another’s existence, until a DNA match changed everything.
Back in March, they spoke to Neos Kosmos about the incredible experience of finding each other, of meeting and bonding, and already feeling as if they’ve known each other forever.
A new discovery: Five more siblings
Now the same DNA thread has uncovered another astonishing connection. The existence of five half siblings, on their father’s side, along with the name of their biological father and the beautiful island of their heritage in Greece. Kalymnos.
Among the newly discovered siblings, some are older, one around the same age, and one younger than all of them, Michael, who has sadly passed away.
“Through the discovery of our five half siblings, it’s become apparent that our father had two separate families,” Cathie Grissell told Neos Kosmos. “He had four children with our mother. And we can’t help but wonder about her. Did she even know he had another family? And we think how hard it must have been for her to give us all up.”
Tracing their father’s story
The eldest of their half siblings, were born in Sydney, in 1963 and 1964, and the third in Darwin in 1966 where the family had relocated before eventually moving to Kalymnos in 1967. On the island, another child was born in 1968. The family returned to Darwin in 1974, where the fifth child was born four years later.
During the time the family was settled in Kalymnos, their father, Frank Kathopoulis, worked as a truck driver in Australia, travelling often to Sydney, where he formed a connection with another woman, their mother, leading to the birth of the four children that were placed for adoption.
Still searching for their mother
The siblings know nothing about their biological mother and are now desperate to find her, or at least learn more about her life. That’s why they’ve made the decision to publicly name their father, who has since passed, in the hope that someone might recognise his name and help connect the missing pieces.
“There’s only one more thing that would make this journey complete,” Cathie continues. “We would love to find our biological mother. Is she still alive? We can’t imagine what she’s been through, what her life has been like all these years… what she may still carry in her heart. It would mean everything to us to reach her, to offer her peace, love and understanding, and to let her know that her children are safe, found and together again. Personally, I would love to find her just to be able to give her a hug.”
An instant connection
Cathie Grissell, an operating theatre nurse who lives in Brisbane, describes the instant connection she felt upon meeting one of her half-siblings in person only recently.
“We’d been talking on the phone for a couple of months, waiting for the ancestry results, and a WhatsApp chat was created where all the siblings joined.”
“I suppose that in the Greek culture, family is really important,” Cathie says describing how welcoming and open, all her siblings are. “I can’t really explain that connection. Whether it’s just that longing to belong and that sense of identity, of knowing my heritage. When I met my half sibling and her beautiful husband last week, the connection was instant. It wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just easy. It was just beautiful.”
Plans are now underway for a reunion in Australia, with dreams of travelling together to Kalymnos, their ancestral home.
“My father was one of ten, so you can imagine that it’s a massive Greek family. I always wanted to come from a big family, and now I do,” she laughs.
Cathie visited Greece many years ago, but her next trip would feel very different. As it felt very different going to the Greek Festival Paniyiri in Brisbane, this year. “I’ve been going to the festival for 22 years. This time I went with one of my closest friends and I cried. I got very emotional.”
Though it took more than half a century to find each other, none of the siblings dwell on the years lost.
“I think, this probably all happened when it was meant to happen, when we were ready and had the time to connect.”
All Cathie wanted to know when she started this journey, was her origins. She never expected to find brothers and sisters, such a large Greek family. “It’s an absolute bonus. I can’t imagine my life without them. It’s hard to describe how from strangers, they have become people I dearly love.”
“Finding out that I am Greek too, explains a lot about me. It explains why I am so passionate about things, my sense of fairness. I’m quite emotional also, and very affectionate. Many friends have told me how it all makes sense, and that I’m just so Greek.”
Being the only one out of the nine siblings with no previous connection to her Greek roots, Cathie is now beginning to learn the language, with the help of her newfound brothers and sisters.
One final hope
As the four adopted siblings look forward to connecting with their half brother and sisters, their search continues for the one person who still remains a mystery. Their mother.
They hope that someone may remember Frank Kathopoulis and his relationship to their mother, during his time in Sydney, possibly between 1967 and 1974. Any information, no matter how small, would be received with immense gratitude and handled with the utmost discretion and respect.
