Two teens who followed each other on social media because they had the same nickname and looked alike were left stunned after discovering they were long-lost biological brothers.
Kali’i Mafi, 19, from Spanish Fork, Utah, and Keawe Sofoifa, 17, from Lubbock, Texas, grew up with their adoptive families but with one recurring experience.
Both boys’ unique-sounding Polynesian names, given to them by their birth father, caused difficulty amongst their school friends – so both were given the same nickname: Kiwi.
In early 2025, Kali’i went to type his name into Instagram, when he came across another profile with Kiwi in the title – and couldn’t believe how much the teen looked just like him.
Intrigued, Kali’i direct messaged Keawe, noting how much they looked alike, but nothing more came of the connection for more than a year and a half, with the pair simply following each other’s profiles.
Then, on August 9, Kali’i replied to one of Keawe’s stories, sparking a conversation between Keawe and his adoptive mom, Sandy Sofoifa, about how he and the teen in the other Kiwi profile looked alike.
Sandy told Keawe she knew he had a brother and was sure that was him, and so she encouraged her son to reply with a difficult question, “Were you adopted?”, to which Kali’i replied confirming he was.
Keawe then asked Kali’i who his birth mother was, and everything began to click.
The two teens called each other immediately, realizing they also had the same birth dad and discussing how crazy it was that their shared nickname had led them to one another.
Kali’i then asked where Keawe lived, and though the 17-year-old responded to say he lived in Texas, coincidentally, he was in Utah at the time.
Keawe headed straight to Kali’i’s home that evening, where the brother’s immediately shared a beaming hug, which Kali’i’s mom, Amy, captured on video.
The brothers spent the next few days together, discovering they had similar mannerisms and styles, like how they danced and did their hair, and shared similar interests, such as sports, anime, and, particularly, a love of cars.
They now plan to spend more time together in the future, getting to know each other more and, one day, potentially working on a project linked to cars together.
Kali’i said: “I’ve always wanted to meet my birth parents and meet my blood, but never to a point where I had a sibling – where it could be a best friend type of situation.
“That was just so emotional, as I instantly connected with this guy – the moment I met him, I just loved him to death.
“I’ve grown up in this adopted family being the youngest out of three, so Keawe being a little younger than me has put a new perspective in my mind of having a little brother.
“That is so special to me because I’ve always wanted to be a light to a little sibling and be encouraging and that person that they look up to.”
Keawe added: “I can’t even put it into words – going up to his door [for the first meeting], and even on the drive there, I was wondering, ‘What if he’s like this? What if he’s like that?’
“I thought, it’s crazy this is actually happening, because it just came up suddenly on me – I wasn’t really expecting to meet a family member.
“When he opened the door and I saw him, man, I knew it; I knew he had to be my brother right then and there.”
Kali’i’s mom, Amy, said: “From not knowing Kali’i had a little brother to then meeting a full biological brother the same day was surreal.
“I was so happy for Kali’i – he has three adoptive brothers and an adoptive sister, as well as many in-laws and nieces and a nephew, but this was so special for him.
“A piece of his heart he didn’t know was open was filled that day.”
