Mom takes photo of 3-year-old daughter, realizes something about great gran

An Australian mom was caught off guard by two photos from the past and present in a way that felt almost uncanny. 

Rachel Petersen (@racheltuesday_) shared a post on TikTok, beginning with a black-and-white photo of her great-grandmother Hilary Sumpton or “Memar” as she was affectionately known in the family. She died when Rachel was 9 years old. 

The next slide shows a photo of Rachel’s young daughter, Nyah, whose face appears to echo the women from generations before.  

Around the time Rachel’s twins, Sunny and Nyah, turned two, her grandmother, Linda March, noticed something familiar in Nyah’s features.  

Over morning tea, Linda pulled out a photograph of her own mother, Hilary, and the likeness was immediately clear.  

“Sunny and Nyah are complete opposites, so it was crazy to see Nyah twinning with my great grandmother,” Rachel told Newsweek.  

The discovery reopened memories of a great-grandmother Rachel remembers with warmth and clarity. Some of her most vivid childhood moments are tied to Memar’s home in Merewether, New South Wales, where a large tree dominated the yard, reached by a long, winding path that felt magical at the time.  

“On Wednesdays, Memar would come over and have dinner at my family home, and we would play dominos,” Rachel explained. “Eventually she came to live with my grandy. She used to love showing me her jewelry [and] I was very lucky to inherit a few pieces when she passed away.”  

Rachel’s post has gone viral on TikTok, amassing 1.4 million views. In the comments, users couldn’t believe the resemblance, from Nyah’s expression to Hilary’s hairline. 

“To look like the woman you admire is the greatest gift life can give you,” one user wrote. 

“You can’t tell me that’s not the same person, they look so alike,” another added.  

A third user wrote, “Genetics are so cool, truly.” 

Rachel captioned the clip, “I’d know that cowlick anywhere.”

Those memories took on new meaning seeing her daughter reflect them physically. Nyah was 3 years old—now seven—but even years later, the resemblance continues to feel surreal. 

“It completely spun me out and still does,” Rachel said. “It’s pretty incredible to think that 1.3 million people have seen my beautiful Memar, and darling daughter, Nyah. Someone in the comment section merged the photos together. I still can’t believe the resemblance!” 

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