A woman has finally found her estranged dad after searching for 53 years – and hopes to meet him before time runs out.
Karen Martin longed to find her biological parents after being placed into foster care at only three years old.
But sadly, the mum-of-three, aged 56, only got to meet her mum again a few years before she passed away from cancer – making her more determined than ever to get in touch with her dad.
She scoured the internet and asked distant relatives for information in a bid to piece together a vision of him, but then, she came across a DNA genetic testing website.
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Karen “matched” with someone who claimed to be her cousin, with an uncle who had the same name as her estranged dad, and now, she’s hoping to meet him before it’s too late.
“I wondered if he ever wanted to be found and I wasn’t sure if I was a skeleton in his wardrobe that none of his family knew about,” the former carer, from Devon, told What’s The Jam.
“I had no idea how to find him… all I had was his name, Michael Williams, which is very common.
“Often, I hoped he thought about me like I thought about him and if he would be pleased to meet me.
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“Without knowing if that would ever happen, I was happy just to know his birthday, his job and perhaps, a photograph of what he looked like.
“But now, I’ve found the last piece of my missing puzzle.”
Karen, who often spoke with her own children, Anna, 38, Ray, 37, and Sean, 34, about finding him, decided to give the genetic testing a go with their help.
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She found distant relatives, but nothing close to what she had hoped and initially gave up – assuming he was no longer alive.
The mum said: “I told myself that it was probably too late and I tried to let go of the thought of finding him.
“Then, out of the blue, I got an email from my cousin asking if I would like to contact her.
“We spoke and when she said that her uncle had the same name as my dad, the feeling was indescribable.
“As I saw his face in photos, I cried so hard and I instantly felt a love for him.
“I no longer felt like a lost little girl.”
Karen then spoke to her estranged brother and sister, John and Bev, who sadly informed her that the 77-year-old was suffering from dementia and had suffered a heart attack, as well as a stroke.
He also now lives in Australia.
In a bid to speak with him before it was too late, they jumped on a video call – and the pair finally reunited for the first time in 53 years.
She said: “He was very happy and said he thought about me all the time on special occasions.
“At the end of the call, I told him I loved him and he said: ‘I love you too, don’t ever forget who your dad is.’
“It was so beautiful.”
Now, she hopes to meet him in person while he’s still able to remember her and in the hopes of doing so, has started a GoFundMe, with over £1,795 raised out of £5,000 so far.
She added: “It would be a dream come true and probably the only opportunity I’ll have to give him a hug and a kiss.
“I worry that something could happen and take this opportunity away, but I hope that I’ll be able to get the closure I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”
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