阅读理解When she was 16, JoanneLoewensterm learned that her parents weren't her birth parents. She was also toldthat her birth mother was a woman named Lillian Feinsilver and she had died daysafter giving birth to her in New York. Feeling sad and doubtful, Joanne spent nightscrying, wondering what her birth mother had been like. And yet, some part of herbelieved her mother was still alive. The doubts troubled Joanne for years.
Shelley, Joanne's daughterin﹣law, suggested taking a DNA test to findher birth family. That was in 2017, and Joanne was 79 years old. Joanne took thetest, and about a year later Shelley received a message from a man named Sam Ciminieri, whose genetic report had matched him with Joanne.
Shelley immediately wroteback to Sam, asking whether he knew a Lillian Feinsilver." Yes," Sam said,"that's my mother's name." Almost unbelievably, she was alive, at age 100 ﹣Joanne had been right all along.
But there were more shocksto come. Sam said that Lillian lived in an assisted﹣living facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Joanne lived in Boca Raton,more than 80 miles away.
The families quickly planneda reunion at the facility. A month later, Joanne found herself sitting across fromthe mother she had searched for her whole life. Lillian, who has dementia(痴呆) , was silent in a wheelchair.
"I don't know if sherecognizes me, "Joanne said.
Joanne said to Lilian thatshe'd been told her birth mother had passed away. No expressions on Lillian's face,Joanne started to cry. At that point Lillian's eyes brightened. Joanne excitedlybegan telling Lillian all about her family. Lillian smiled. Then she said the wordsJoanne had waited more than 60 years to hear：
"This is my daughter."
Joanne learned that overthe years, Lillian had repeatedly told her family that she" lost her daughter".Everyone, including Lillian, believed that the baby had died.
The two women spent thatfirst afternoon together joyfully. "I'm proud," Joanne said. "Thisis something I wanted to do all my life."
