A woman’s search for her family has led her from her home in Denmark, to Southwestern Nova Scotia.

Jo-Ann Hatting was adopted at birth.

“I was born in Montreal, Canada in 1957,” says Hatting. “When I was approximately three, we immigrated to Rhode Island, and from there we went to New Jersey and from there to South Carolina and from there to Denmark.”

After searching for her family for 25 years, Hatting submitted her DNA to a database in the United States.

“I figured that this was my last chance of ever figuring out where I come from, and who am I,” says Hatting.

The search turned up more than 1,000 cousins and lead to her Acadian roots.

Now, at the Pubnico Museum, deep inside the research archives, Hatting believes she will find answers.

“I can calculate first cousins, second cousins, fourth cousins, whatever he may be, a brother and sister,” says Pauline d’Entremont, of the Musee des Acadiens des Pubnicos.

Hatting is in Pubnico for two and a half weeks. She says the whole village is aware of her story and everyone is pitching in to help. More than a dozen people have already come forward to submit DNA samples.

“Actually, we're waiting for one (DNA sample) now,” says Hatting. “Maybe the end of this week or early next week we will have the results coming in if she would be a potential aunt, meaning that her brother would be my father.”

Rosanne d'Eon submitted her DNA. She says it was just the right thing to do.

“We are so deeply rooted here, we go back eight, nine, 10 generations, we could go back to the founder of Pubnico, so we have no idea what it's like to be rootless,” says d’Eon.

Hatting is no longer rootless and is now enjoying getting to know the family she has already found.

“It's been a very joyful place to come, and I feel very much at home here in Pubnico,” says Hatting.

Hatting recently met another relative in Montreal. Just over a week ago, she saw her sister for the first time.

“Just being able to, you know, just hug your blood family that you knew were out there, you just couldn't find them,” says Hatting.

Hatting says she believes knowing where you come from is a human right, and she hopes to find more answers very soon.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell