Melissa Highsmith Update: Woman Missing For 51 Years Reunited With Family

A woman, who was abducted from a Texas home when she was 22 months old, was finally reunited with her family after 51 years.

Melissa Highsmith's family announced Sunday that she was located following a DNA test. The woman lived her entire life not knowing that she was kidnapped and had no idea her parents were searching for her since she went missing from Fort Worth on Aug. 23, 1971.

Her mother, Alta Apantenco, was working as a waitress and had placed an ad in the newspaper looking for a babysitter before Melissa's disappearance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Alta hired a woman who said she really wanted the job and claimed she had looked after many other children. The mother was at work when the babysitter appeared at her apartment and picked Melissa up from her roommate. The babysitter disappeared with the then-22-month-old baby.

A search for Melissa was launched immediately but to no avail. The parents have been awaiting news about their lost daughter since then. Her family members went to South Carolina last month after receiving a tip about a possible sighting of Melissa, her brother Jeff Highsmith said. However, the trip did not get them closer to finding Melissa.

"We don't call it failure," Jeff told Star-Telegram at the time. "It opened other doors in trying to find her. Nationwide, they know we are looking for her and still care."

The search for Melissa took a turn after her father, Jeffrie Highsmith, submitted his DNA to the website 23andMe, which helps customers create a family tree and find relatives.

Jeffrie's DNA matched with three kids, who were the children of a couple named John Brown and Melanie Brown. Further testing determined that Melanie was none other than Melissa, who was living in Fort Worth under a different name.

"We are beyond thrilled to announce that WE FOUND MELISSA!!! There are so many details we would like to share, but for now, we would just like to say that we followed a 23 & Me family DNA match that led us to her," Sharon Highsmith, Melissa's younger sister, wrote Sunday on Facebook. "Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA, not because of any police/FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family's own private investigations or speculations. DNA WINS THIS SEARCH!"

Melissa said she had no idea her family was looking for her all these years.

"The person that raised me, I asked her, 'Is there anything you need to tell me?' and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa so that just made it real," Melissa said, reported CBS News.

She reunited with her family last weekend.

"I just couldn't believe it. I thought I'd never see her again," Alta reportedly said.