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Quad City bride meets sister on wedding day

Tracey Girot hugged her sister for the first time Friday, more than four decades after she was given up for adoption.

Tracey Girot hugged her sister for the first time Friday, more than four decades after she was given up for adoption. The wedding-day reunion was made possible by Girot's husband-to-be, Dan, who first tracked the siblings down.

One of eight kids, Tracey was adopted as a baby and never knew her birth parents, siblings, or even her nationality. Forty-four years later, Dan and Tracey finally got her birth certificate and began contacting the siblings Tracey never knew she had.

"I've waited my whole life. I never knew where I belonged or what my place in the world was," said Girot with tears of joy Friday.

In June, Tracey met her sister Bonnie Furne for the first time. Together, Bonnie and another sister, Cheryl, began planning Tracey's wedding -- bringing the dress, flowers and gifts from West Liberty, Iowa.

Finally, on the afternoon of the wedding, Tracey met Cheryl for the first time.

"Mom told us about you. She said, 'You'll just have to wait until she comes to you,'" said sister Cheryl Alcala.

"From day one, since I talked to these two, they hadn't even met me yet, and they told me they loved me. What does that mean?" said Girot.

The wedding-day surprises continued when Tracey asked Cheryl to be her maid of honor. And although the day began with a 100 percent chance of rain, there were sunny skies when Bonnie and Cheryl watched their baby sister say "I do."

"My sister came all the way from northern Minnesota to be with me today and meet me. It's just a dream come true," said Girot.

And the reunion was all thanks to Tracey's new husband, who first encouraged the family to reconnect.

"I'm gonna take care of this girl for the rest of my life," smiled Dan.

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