and this very dark Covid-19 cloud had the surprising impact 3

of helping two families who had no idea they were related 4

connect, Jim Moret explains how it happened. 5

These neighbors have not only become good friends 6

during the pandemic, they've also found out they're family. 7

Chetel Njoten and his wife and son, moved onto the block 8

in La Cresenta California just a few months ago. 9

Not knowing the Covid-19 pandemic was about 10

to blanket the world, as they got to know their neighbors 11

from a social distance, they learned that they shared 12

Norwegian heritage with their neighbors, Eric and Jen Strom. 13

How did the topic of where you came from 14

even come up? 15

We all have Norwegian background in some way, 16

shape or form so that's how we had originally 17

started talking about it. 18

I was looking for some of my husbands relatives 19

from this island that I couldn't find 20

and I had mentioned that to them. 21

We're supposedly from this small island 22

called Newton but we were spelling it 23

in English style Newton, N E W T O N, 24

and then they joked, oh wouldn't it be funny, 25

I'm from Njoten, wouldn't that be funny 26

if it was the same place? 27

When Eric mentioned it, Njoten sounds familiar 28

I'm like, no it's not, 'cause this place is just so small 29

it's just never gonna happen. 30

Chetel comes from a small island in Norway called Njoten. 31

Population just 30 people. 32

It just happens to be the same last name as Chetel's 33

as in Njoten, what are the odds? 34

But that wasn't the only connection, 35

the two men who live just four houses apart from each other 36

were shocked to learn that they're families 37

were not only from the same island, 5000 miles away, 38

they also share the same great, great grandfather, 39

making them, cousins. 40

If we hadn't of moved here, I don't think 41

we would have met. 42

Now the cousins are looking forward 43

to another milestone, that first hug 44

once the lockdown is lifted. 45

Cheers. Cheers my darling. 46

(laughs) Cheers. 47

You might be surprised what you learn 48

when you meet your neighbors. 49

(inside Edition theme music)