Woman Born From Incest Shares How She Learned Her Biological Parents Were Siblings

A woman who later discovered she was born as a result of incest has spoken openly about how she found out and how the truth altered the direction of her life.

Teresa Weiler was adopted at the age of two and a half by a senior civil servant and his wife in Middlesex, after spending her early years in a children’s home in London, UK.

While speaking to OMG Stories: Up Close and OMG Stories on YouTube, Teresa explained that she had been abandoned in West London before entering the care system.

A photo of Teresa was later shared in a Catholic weekly notice, which led her future adoptive parents to respond and welcome her into their home. She was raised alongside two biological sons, and not long after, another adopted daughter joined the family.

Growing up in a Catholic household, Teresa said the idea of sex before marriage was strongly frowned upon and rarely discussed.

Even so, she would later learn that her own origins involved something far more serious and deeply troubling.

Teresa Weiler learned of her history Getty Stock Images

When Teresa turned 18, her adoptive father gave her a copy of her original birth certificate. It listed her biological mother as Teresa Maureen O’Reilly, but there was no information included about her biological father.

Several years later, while in her 20s, Teresa decided she wanted answers and went to the social services office to access her records.

Not wanting to worry or upset her family, she kept her visit a secret. What she uncovered would become another secret she carried alone, driven by feelings she described as shame and revulsion.

She later learned that her biological mother was just 16 years old when she gave birth. She then made a discovery that left her stunned, finding that her biological father was her mother’s brother, who was only 14 at the time.

Teresa told the cameras: "So basically, my parents were brother and sister."

"You can imagine I've grown up in a nice Catholic family where sex before marriage is even frowned upon. This was something off the scale and I really did not know what to do with that information," she admitted, adding that she felt sick after learning the truth.

Despite the shock, Teresa said the information helped explain parts of her life that had never made sense to her before.

Teresa said: "I felt it answered a lot of questions why nobody had wanted me and that that would be why I went into a children's home."

"But most of all, I felt shame because this was a taboo in not just in the Catholic community, but in any community that would be something that people would be appalled by as I was."

After reading through her file, Teresa walked for a long time and reflected on what it meant for her future. She eventually decided she would never have children, even though she deeply wanted the same family life her siblings had.

Out of fear that she might pass on a developmental delay, whether physical or mental, she chose a different path and promised herself she would be the best aunt possible.

Later on, her biological mother reached out through a registry for parents hoping to reunite with their children. Teresa believes her biological father was also present during their first meeting, even though her mother described him only as a friend.

At first, Teresa felt comforted by seeing people she physically resembled, but the feeling faded once she began asking questions about her birth and their lives.

She said: "I hadn't realized how angry I felt inside."

Her mother told her to return when she was calmer, but instead cut off contact soon after. She disconnected her phone and moved away just weeks later, leaving Teresa heartbroken.

Over time, Teresa said she has come to terms with where she came from and has found happiness in her role as an aunt, describing her nieces and nephews as her greatest joy.