Man Learns His Sister Is Actually His Mother | TODAY

Steve Lickteig thought he was adopted, but was the last of his friends and family to learn the truth: Who he thought were his parents were really his grandparents, and his older sister was actually his mother. “Your life doesn’t have to be destroyed,” he said.

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Man Learns His Sister Is Actually His Mother | TODAY

[shalini_sevani]

People often talk about "simpler times" but the truth is that they were just more secretive times.

[SheniceSays]

It’s painful when other people tell you things that your own family should be telling you.

[smithsl]

I think it’s a blessing that he was raised by family instead of being adopted or abandoned.

[TitoTimTravels]

Seems like it would have been simpler just to say he was their youngest child. The whole adoption bit is overly complicated.

[posysdogovych]

At least he didn't learn his wife is actually his mother.

[suicidesquid]

It's not as bad as learning your sister is actually your father.

[mirammckay]

He is fortunate to know who his mother is.She's loved him all his life.

[roxannemoser]

This has happened to my stepsister. She's raising her granddaughter as her own. Her actual mother, who pretends to be her sister now is married with 2 other children. Her husband doesn't know his wife has 3 children, not 2.
I told my stepsister this is going to blow up within the next 10 years.

[I_am_milan]

Your 2 best friends? So even your "friends" knew about your own life before you did? That's tripped out.

[Denisha]

Family secrets are a cancer; his story is more common than we think

[ArsenicJulep]

My birth mother didn’t tell anyone she had had a baby girl: not her mother, her brother, or even her husband. The shame and secrecy were so harmful and unnecessary. It exacerbated her mental illness and caused a rift with her family. No one understood the pain and loss she had endured. They judged her harshly instead of having compassion for her. I found her when I was 37 and was able to help her get the care she needed.

[booklover]

The same thing happened in my family. My great aunt is one of 12 kids. She became pregnant. She wasn't ready to be a mom so her mother (my great grandmother) decided to take the baby and raise it. He grew up not knowing that his sister was actually his mother. At eighteen he also found out the truth and ran away. He vanished and was never heard from and my grandma was trying to look for her brother, even though he's technically her nephew. He's finally come back and he's trying to find his way to a better life. Unfortunately, when he went back home, he was hoping to see his mom again (his grandmother) but she had passed away. She hoped he would come back and bought some land for him so he could build a house. It was really sad that he couldn't see her again.

[Thee.queendee]

What were they protecting if everyone in town already knew?

[DeidresStuff]

At least they didn't leave him on a doorstep. He grew up with love.

[tposeinify]

This is crazy they did it to protect their image but everyone in the town already knew so wtf was the point 🤷‍♀️

[CateB]

A close friend lost her “mum” at 12. When T was 13, her sister took her for a walk and said, “you know how mum passed last year etc etc…well she was actually only my mum. She was your grandma. I’m your mum”. Her entire family changed from uncles to brothers and so on. Her mum fell pregnant at 12 and gave birth to T… when she just turned 13. They left their town, went elsewhere for almost a year to hide the truth because of that time, back in the early 60s.

[R.O.T.C._SEEM]

They tried to save the family name but everyone in the town knew it was his mom 🤔.

[triciacharlton]

I was 13 when I found out my sister was my birth mother...this was common practice in the 1950's/60's...and yes SADLY it was ALL ABOUT THE FAMILY NAME!!!

[mycentstoo]

My mom told me that she knew a girl back in the '50s who went to "visit her aunt" for several months. When she came back, her family "adopted a baby."

[nancymckittrick]

You can feel his pain. To this day it obviously hurts him so much!