Biological sisters adopted by different families take to TikTok to find teenage brother ‘Giovanni’
TAMPA, Fla. - A viral TikTok video posted by a group of adopted sisters, including two in Tampa, has people around the world trying to help them find their teenage brother, who was also adopted.
When Cat and Gigi Palmer reunited with four other sisters in Buffalo, New York last weekend, they decided to put together the video. In it, each sister takes a turn speaking, putting together this message to their brother:
"If your name is Giovanni, and you were born at Tampa General Hospital on February 14, 2009. And you're 15 years old. And your parents were the doctors who delivered you. We're your sisters. And we want to meet you!"
READ: Foster Angel Program celebrates 35 years thanks to Tampa General Hospital worker
Cat, 25, and Gigi, 23, are the oldest of the sisters. Alexia, Anna and Monica are 20, 19 and 18 years old respectively.
"Quite back-to-back in age," Cat explained.
Isabella, 13, is the youngest of the siblings.
They were all born to the same biological parents who struggled with drug addiction and were forced to give up their children. The sisters were adopted in pairs by different families and live in three different states.
MORE: Long-time Tampa city worker brings holiday feel to her workspace
"We all have pairs, like I have Gigi. Alexia and Anna were adopted together. Monica and Bella spent their lives together," Cat explained, adding that through the years, they found each other and a common bond. "We are the curse-breaker generation. We're the first generation not to struggle with addiction, to choose something different for our lives, to grow up and become like contributing members of society."
Giovanni, however, is the only sibling to have been adopted by himself. The sisters said it was a closed adoption, in which there is no contact between the birth parents and the adoptive family, so they haven't been able to find information about him.
They decided social media would be the best way to try to connect. By Thursday, the video had been seen by almost 50 million people, liked by more than six million and shared about 72,000 times.
"There were lots of comments, like, 'my God, imagine being a 15-year-old boy, and you have six other sisters,'" Gigi said.
They're confident Giovanni is growing up in a loving family, and they want him to know there's more love waiting for him.
READ: Here’s how much parents spend on holiday gifts for each child
"The end goal of this all is to find Giovanni. If he wants to have a relationship with us and get to know us and that's great. And if he doesn't, that's okay," said Gigi. "We came from the same mom and same dad, but he went and lived a whole totally different life. And I would love to get to know that about him and so that we can all just, like, have that connection again."
"What's interesting about the fact that we all grew up separately, we are so alike," added Cat. "I just want to see how these traits that are very, very strong have been passed on and how they are in a boy."
The sisters said they've also reconnected with their biological parents, who have been sober since they reunited with their oldest daughters. They hope their story also puts a spotlight on the need for foster parents, like the ones who took in these siblings and raised them in loving families.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter