Sisters, separated as children, move in together 45 years later in Winter Haven

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (FOX 13) - It has been a long time since Patty Greene and her sister, Marcie Dodd, have seen each other; 45 years to be exact.

When they were little kids, their dad was killed in a motorcycle crash and Marcie was adopted.

"I don't hold a grudge or resentment, but it just wasn't fair," Marcie offered.

Thursday, at the airport in Orlando, they had a long-awaited reunion

"I walked up to her, she is crying, and then I hugged her," Patty recalled. "We were just holding each other crying. Everyone is looking at us and staring. I'm like, 'I haven't seen her in forever.'"

Bystanders broke into applause.

Then it was off to Patty's house in Winter Haven where she recounted how events unfolded.

Back around Christmas, Patty's mom died. A thought plagued her.

"I realized I don't have any family. I have to find her," she recounted.

So Patty went on Ancestry.com and began researching, sending e-mails and making phone calls, sometimes up to 12 hours a day.

Finally, she got a hit and found Marcie.

When she found out Marcie is seriously ill, she decided there was only one thing to do: Move her long-lost sister from cramped living conditions in San Francisco to an apartment close to her house in Winter Haven.

"We have missed out on so much," Marcie said. 

"And you don't know how much time we have left," Patty quickly followed, finishing her sister's sentence as if they'd never left one another.

Whatever time they have, it will now be together.