

Episode 7
Season 12 Episode 7 | 43m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
Two sons who were given up for adoption and the families who have been looking for them.
This episode tells the story of two sons who were given up for adoption and the families who have stopped at nothing to find them.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

Episode 7
Season 12 Episode 7 | 43m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
This episode tells the story of two sons who were given up for adoption and the families who have stopped at nothing to find them.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Long Lost Family
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHe could be anywhere in the world.
I hope you can find him.
[man] Why did she let me go?
I want to know.
I need to know.
My brother was my whole world.
Where is he?
[Davina] There are many reasons why people across Britain are searching for missing family.
I found out all my life is fake.
[woman] There's that little hole in your heart that just can't be filled by anything else.
Some have unsolved mysteries...
Behind every door, there's a story.
Behind that door's mine.
Others have difficult questions.
So, imagine the moment when the answer you need is just around the corner.
[buzzer] [Davina] I'm gonna be there in about 20 minutes.
-And the plot thickens.
-I know.
[Nicky] In this series, we uncover unexpected truths... -So this was deception?
-Yep, it was.
Mum was having an affair with somebody, and he wasn't Black.
...find people that no one else could trace... We have found your brother.
No way!
[laughs] ...and reunite families after a lifetime apart.
-I love you.
-I love you too, brother.
[laughs] Every time we take on a case, we warn people that the loved one they're looking for might not want to be found.
Sometimes, it's an outright no.
Or, sometimes, they are just really struggling with that momentous decision to reunite.
But never say never.
One day, that precious person might just pick up the phone.
[keyboard clicking] [man] Did you do five eggs, Adam?
-[Adam] No, four.
-Did you do four?
-Mm-hmm.
-Okay.
52-year-old Andrew Barlow now lives on the South Coast of Australia with his wife, Hannah, and their three children.
Is that for you, David?
But Andrew was born in the UK and adopted as a baby.
[Andrew] I had a very happy childhood.
Really good parents.
Never felt anything but loved.
I'm ready in, like, two seconds.
Okay.
Andrew began to think about his birth family after becoming a father himself.
[Andrew] Going through the birth of your child is obviously a massive experience emotionally, and... you start to wonder, where did that come from?
And how did I become who I am?
Andrew used a social worker to access his UK adoption file.
He discovered that his birth mother, Patricia, had been only 15 when she fell pregnant.
This is my adoption records summary.
"She is a girl of a little below average height, plumpish with straight mousy hair, blue eyes, who has always talked freely about her feelings for the baby."
There's a very strong sense of a young girl who was probably very frightened but did not want to give up her baby.
Yeah.
She fought tooth and nail not to turn up to the various checks and refused to sign the, um, adoption papers.
So, it's tough to hear that.
And, um... when you've been thinking about that with your own children, what would that be like if you never saw your child again?
[keyboard clicking] 9,000 miles away, there are two people who know exactly what it was like for Patricia to give Andrew up-- her younger children, Lisa and Barry.
Do you remember this box?
This is the box that Mum kept under her pillow, under her bed, for as long as I remember.
But when I opened it, look what was on the top.
-[Barry] The pictures of Andy.
-Of Andy.
[Lisa] She always kept them in this plastic wallet.
Was the first thing that was there when it was opened.
-It's wonderful, isn't it?
-[Barry] It's lovely.
[click, film reel plays] [Barry] Mum's glowing.
-Look at her.
-Aw, she's absolutely gorgeous.
You can see how proud she is.
Despite building a whole new family in the years after Andrew's adoption, Patricia never lost hope of reuniting with her first-born.
She was forced to give, um, Andy up for adoption.
She lived with the trauma and the guilt.
You know, we'd talk, you know, "I wonder where he is?
I wonder if he's alive?
I wonder if he's okay?"
[Barry] Mum never stopped searching for Andrew.
I think it plagued her.
Yeah.
I'd say it plagued her life.
[Nicky] It was through Patricia that we first became involved in the case.
After decades of searching on her own, Patricia contacted Long Lost Family in 2014.
We were her last hope.
But whilst our search team did manage to locate Andrew, making contact with him wasn't so simple.
So, then, what happened?
[Ariel] Well, we had written to Andrew twice, both by recorded delivery.
We knew we'd got the right address, and we never had a reply.
[Nicky] Okay.
What happens in a situation like that?
We just had to step back and say to Patricia that, um, he obviously did not want to respond.
[Andrew] "Dear Mr. Barlow, I'm working with a lady called Patricia who's trying to contact a family member, Andrew James Barlow, who was born on the 2nd of March, 1970, in Newcastle, in the UK."
So, why didn't Andrew respond to our letters?
[Andrew] Unfortunately, when I received that letter, I was having a really difficult time with my adoptive father dying at the time with dementia, which is a terrible disease.
It's very hard to-- to process.
It was very difficult for me to process.
My father was a, um... [crying] [Andrew] I felt a tremendous sense of loyalty and didn't want to do anything that would hurt my adoptive parents at that time.
I knew that, at some point, I would want to respond to this letter.
I just didn't know when.
Our letter sat on Andrew's desk for six years, until that moment finally arrived.
[Andrew] I woke up one morning, and I got out of bed and came down the stairs, and there was only one thing on my mind.
And that was that... that I needed to find the letter in my in-tray.
[Nicky] Andrew contacted our intermediaries to say that he was finally ready to meet his birth mother.
So, they immediately rang Patricia.
[keyboard clicking] [Patricia] Hi, sorry I'm not available at the moment, but if you could leave your name and number after the tone, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
[soft, melancholy music playing] [Lisa] I always kept Mum's phone.
Um, I liked to ring Mum's phone, I liked to hear her voice on a day where I'm missing her terribly.
Mum died on the 5th of October, 2019.
It was devastating.
It was so unexpected and out of the blue.
Uh, and I suppose that's what heart attacks are.
Hi, sorry I'm not available at the moment.
One day, Long Lost Family rang Mum's phone and left a voicemail to let us know that Andy wanted to make contact.
I was devastated, because it had come sort of 11 months later, and I knew it was just her lifetime dream.
[Lisa] This brings back so many gorgeous memories for me.
[Barry] One of Mum's favorite spots.
Absolutely adored it.
[Davina] Despite Patricia's death, Lisa and Barry are overjoyed that Andrew's now ready to have contact with his birth family.
Mum passed, but now she's given us Andy.
-Mm.
-Our big brother.
Yeah.
It's hard to say that when I'm smiling, isn't it?
[both laugh] It's crazy.
Um, yeah.
[Barry] What would Mum be thinking if she was here right now?
She will be thinking, "I'm so pleased they're getting the opportunity.
And for them all to be united together is the next-best thing."
But before Lisa and Barry finally get to meet their big brother, we take up the search for another missing sibling.
Giving up a child that you have carried for nine months is a decision that no mother would ever take lightly.
And, sometimes, the pain that results from that separation cascades down the generations.
[keyboard clicking] [woman] Be careful!
[laughter] [child] Where are you gonna pour it in?
[woman] Right there, right there.
You have a go.
62-year-old Julie Redman is a teaching assistant, mother, and grandmother.
-That's it, -Yeah!
-Brilliant!
-Well done!
[Julie] I can't imagine life without family.
It's all about support.
Doing good.
[Julie] We've always been rallying around to try and help each other as much as we can.
-Thank you, Nan.
-Aw.
Julie grew up the eldest of five children, raised by her Welsh mother, Joan.
[Julie] We come from a working-class family.
This is my Mum when she was young.
She's a very beautiful lady.
But Joan was carrying a heartbreaking secret.
[Julie] I remember one day when I was 9, we was in the kitchen, and my mum was very, very upset, crying, and I said, "Mummy," you know, "why are you crying?"
And she said to me, "Oh, you have an older brother.
His name is John Michael.
But he doesn't live with us."
I was very young.
It was a bit of a shock, really.
Joan revealed that when she was young and unmarried, she'd had to give up her baby for adoption.
[Julie] She went into a mother and baby home.
She had him for three months, and then, one morning, she looked through the window, and there she's seen two people carrying John Michael away.
That was the last time she ever seen him.
The whole family, including Julie's little sister Mandy... -Hello, Mand, come on in.
-Hiya.
...witnessed the pain and regret their mother felt about the adoption.
[Julie] Mum would get really sad and emotional when she used to talk about John.
[Mandy] She did.
Mum carried the guilt with her all through her life, didn't she?
-Even-- -She did.
-Even to the end.
-Yeah, she did.
But like every year when his birthday come up, that's when she felt it even more, didn't she?
[Julie] Oh, absolutely.
And she was upset, she used to cry.
And Mum always said, "If you find him, tell him that I love him."
Joan always hoped for a reunion with her son.
But it wasn't to be.
[Julie] Mum had cancer.
I promised her just before she died that whatever happens, you know, I will-- I will find him.
And two years ago, Julie made a breakthrough.
I found my brother's birth certificate.
He was born in Hemel Hempstead, St. Paul's Hospital.
It just become real.
It was like, almost like if he was here with me.
But without John's adoptive name, the trail went cold.
[Julie] I've known about him 50-odd years.
He's a part of our family.
He's my blood.
He's a part of me.
So, I'll never give up.
I've applied for the change of name.
[Nicky] Our specialist intermediaries found that John's name had been changed to Simon Willis.
But we couldn't find any trace of him or his adoptive parents in the UK.
So, we started to look abroad.
I've found a record for his father in Canada.
[Nicky] We discovered that Simon's new family had settled in Ontario.
But then, once again, the trail went cold.
We needed a new approach.
So how did this one work out?
We started to look on social media, and we found someone called Simon.
He had the right birthday, he said of himself he was adopted, but he had changed his last name.
We wondered if this might be him.
Now, the Simon we found is actually a punk, and he's changed his name to Simon Snotface.
-[Nicky laughs] Snotface?
-Yes.
[Nicky] How extraordinary.
[Ariel] So, I made contact with him.
-And that was him?
-Yes.
[dramatic music playing] Simon has lived in Canada since his parents emigrated when he was four years old.
He served in the Canadian Army and is a well-known fixture on the West Coast punk scene.
[dramatic music ends] Julie has been searching for her brother all her adult life, never suspecting he was thousands of miles away, living a very different life to her.
But does Simon know anything about his birth family?
And how does he feel about his sister finding him after all this time?
-Hey, Nicky.
-Simon.
-How you keeping?
-Awesome, brother, awesome.
[Nicky] Yeah, yeah.
-[Simon] Alright!
-[Nicky laughs] Thanks for talking to me.
-Thanks for having me.
-It's a pleasure.
I've got so much to tell you, so much to ask you about.
Simon Snotface is your punk name?
Mm-hmm.
Well, I'd just gotten out of the Army, and punk rock was, like, big news at the time, so I changed it to Snotface, and it stuck like glue.
How are you feeling knowing that you have got this birth family who want to see you?
Great.
Excited as hell.
When I found out that Julie was my sister, it was magical.
I had hardened myself to believe that I didn't have any blood relatives.
I thought that the more I hoped and dreamt one day of doing that, that that would, like, screw me up emotionally, hoping for something that-- that probably doesn't exist.
So, you built this wall around yourself?
Yeah.
Definitely.
Definitely built the wall.
[Nicky] And now the wall's down.
Down?
It's shattered!
[laughs] This is like the happiest thing that's ever happened to me.
-It's fantastic.
-Really?
So, what about your adoption?
Did you have a happy childhood?
It was mixed.
But there was enough happy moments that it didn't-- didn't crush me.
And your mother?
Did your mother love you?
Yeah, she gave me true love.
I have an adopted sister too, Claire.
-You get on well?
-Yeah.
Just stylee.
But I was, uh, roughly treated as a child by my adoptive dad.
It showed me how cruel the world can be.
Simon, I can't-- that's awful.
When I was 10 years old, my mum told me I was adopted.
I got the impression that my birth mum was like a young teenager, and she was like-- My mum said that she was, like, really sweet and caring.
My mum said that she stuck around to make sure that my adoptive mum and dad were good enough to raise me.
That's, uh-- that's the story I got.
That's the story you got.
Well there's an essential truth in that story, in that she was sweet and caring, and giving you up was the last thing... -That's what I thought.
-...that she wanted to do.
Your birth mother had this-- this abiding sort of nightmare vision through the window at the mother and baby home where she looked after you for three months after you were born... of you being taken away by your adoptive parents.
And that was something that haunted her for the rest of her life.
-Oh, really?
-It was heartbreaking.
Did you ever think you'd see a photograph of your birth mother?
Never.
Oh, man!
[sniffs] Wow, she's beautiful.
Whoa, I can see myself in her.
Wow, she's beautiful.
I might have to get that tattooed on me.
[Nicky] I've never heard that before.
That's a first for me.
-Really?
-Yeah.
[Simon chuckles] This'll be the perfect one.
Sixty-five years of nothing, and then, "Hi, Ma."
Your mother married twice after she had you.
You've got two brothers, three sisters.
Unfortunately, Stephan has passed away, but you have Mario, Mandy, Tina, and you have Julie.
Oh, wow!
Wow, wow.
My family's huge!
Julie was the oldest, and she knew about you from the age of 9.
Nine!
Wow!
Your mother towards the end, she made Julie promise that whatever happened, that she would find you.
Wow!
Does Julie look like her?
Well, do you want to see a photo of Julie?
Sure do.
Wow!
Cool.
Awesome.
Awesome.
I think we have the same nose.
Wow.
That's great.
Unbelievable.
Wow.
[chuckles] And now, boom-- I've got a family.
It's like, whoo!
Wow!
I am at a loss to express how joyful I am right now.
Like I said, this changes everything.
Everything, and all for the better, too.
I was never forgotten.
[Davina] Before Simon meets Julie, I'm going to catch up with Andrew Barlow.
[keyboard clicking] Andrew's traveled from Melbourne to London to meet his brother and sister.
It took him six years to answer our letters and respond to his birth mother's request for contact, only to discover he had missed his chance.
I found out, to my dismay, that Patricia had passed away... about a year before.
It's not unusual for the people we find not to feel ready to meet their relatives, but Andrew wants to explain what that's truly like.
Andrew has agreed to talk to me about the impact of his birth mother's death and his feelings about the brother and sister who are still desperate to connect with him.
Andrew.
-Hi, there.
-Hi.
Take a seat.
Thank you very much.
Oh, my goodness!
You're here.
-Finally.
-It's amazing.
Um, so what made you feel ready to make contact with Patricia?
I was very overwhelmed by personal circumstances, with my father not well... -[Davina] Hm-mm.
-...and I think I was still working through a sense of, um, loyalty towards my adoptive parents.
[Davina] Mm.
And it took me a long while to give myself permission to do it.
So, what was it like to learn the news that Patricia had died?
My first response was, my heart sank and, uh... [clears throat] -[Davina] Hey.
-I thought I was... -It's okay.
-[crying] Okay.
[sighing] I was pretty devastated.
I think, um... And I-- I-- [sighs] I thought I'd just-- I was just too late.
[Davina] Mm.
All this time, I'd been thinking about when I was ready and not when somebody else was ready.
So, did you then start thinking about the letters?
I think not getting an answer to that must have been very hard.
[Davina] Mm.
Like, "Your son didn't want to know you."
-Mm.
-So... yeah.
It was never my intention for it to feel like it wasn't something I wanted.
It was never the intention.
It was never going to be a shut door from me, but it was just the timing.
So, what would you have liked to have said to her?
I think I would have just said, "Hello, Mum."
And then, we'd go from there.
So, then you got the good news.
Then I got the good news.
The intermediary said to me, "You have a brother and sister, and they would very much like to meet with you."
[laughs] That's a bit of a lifeline in my circumstances.
So, what does it mean to you to have come all the way around the world to finally meet your family?
Right now, this is the most important thing in my life.
Are you nervous about meeting...?
Yes!
I'm really nervous.
[laughs] Very nervous, yeah.
[keyboard clicking] -[Lisa] There you go, darling.
-Thank you.
Lisa and Barry are getting ready to meet their big brother in person for the first time.
How do you think Andy's doing right now?
I think he'll have a whole host of emotions.
I think he'll be really sad that it's not Mum as well.
But, hopefully, he'll be excited.
[Barry] Yeah, a big part of today is for our mum.
All of those emotions that Mum's carried for so many years, we've experienced them and felt them and never been able to do anything about it.
So, today gives us that opportunity to write it, write the whole story.
Andrew has traveled to Newcastle to finally meet his siblings.
[Hannah] How about these?
Necklace.
I feel excited, little bit nervous.
Um... it's been a long journey to get here.
So, I think I am just relieved, so relieved to have made it to this point right now.
[Andrew] Time to go.
Have fun.
[Andrew] See you later.
[Lisa] Today is life-changing.
I'm feeling really nervous.
I've got butterflies in my stomach.
But I'm really excited to be meeting him at last.
The siblings are meeting at a hotel just a few miles from where Andrew was born.
[Lisa] You all right?
[contemplative music playing] [Andrew] I've felt guilty, because I wasn't able to reach out in time to meet Patricia.
I think the key thing I look to get from meeting today is peace.
You okay?
[Barry chuckles] [laughing] [inaudible] [Lisa crying] [Lisa] Oh, it's a dream come true.
I love you so much.
Well, I'm not going anywhere now.
Oh... [crying] [Andrew] Come on, let's have a group hug.
There you go, come on.
[laughs] [Lisa crying] Oh...
This is how it should always have been.
-[Andrew] Have a seat.
-Right.
[Barry sighs] [Andrew] Right.
It's been a long journey.
-[Lisa] It has.
-Really long journey.
It's wonderful to see you.
It's wonderful.
-[Andrew] Yeah.
-[Barry] It is, yeah.
I want you to know that Mum loved you right up until her last moment, she did.
I'm really sad that I'll never get to meet her.
Um, yeah, huge amount of sadness.
But even though you weren't ready at that time, she never carried any resentment at all.
-[Barry] No.
-She still talked very fondly, she still absolutely adored you.
That's really good to know.
[Barry] We've got a little something.
This would stay underneath Mum's bed, and she had it there throughout her life, wherever she went.
And, um, right at the top was... was you.
[Lisa] You were never, ever out of her mind, ever.
So, we hope that... that gives you some comfort in knowing you were always right beside her when she slept.
It gives me a lot of comfort, because peace is one of the things that...
I need.
And Mum will rest peacefully now knowing that we're connected and united.
[Andrew] Very, very emotional.
I take comfort out of the fact that I was always close in their thoughts, always close to her every day, and today marks the start of a-- of a new journey, where I get to meet my brother and sister, and, uh, I feel a really strong sense, an overwhelming sense of love and care.
Now, I brought you a little gift, and you probably can see one on my neck here.
[Lisa] Yeah.
This is the Viking rune stone for "A".
You have one for yourself there... -[Lisa] Wow!
-...which is an "L".
[Lisa] I love it.
[Andrew] And then there's something similar for Barry.
-[Lisa] Do you want to put--?
-Yeah, sure.
-There you go.
-Oh...
Thank you.
I may never, ever take this off now.
[laughs] [Barry] It is a weight load off, isn't it?
It just feels like it was something that needed to happen, you know?
It just-- it feels great, it's such a relief.
[Lisa] That's how it's always meant to be, natural and the three of us as siblings.
It was gorgeous.
[Hannah] Hello.
[laughter] Hello.
We can't change the past, and we can't bring Mum back, but I think it would have been her proudest moment to see us three together.
Well, it's a new start, and it just feels amazing.
-Very special.
-Definitely.
-Yeah.
-Can't stop smiling.
What about with the three of us, can you see any similarities?
I don't think it's hard to say that you're siblings.
Little bit of similarity.
[laughs] [Barry] Carbon copy.
[Lisa] All of us together.
Julie Redman is searching for her brother who was given up for adoption as a baby.
[Julie] I just need to tell him that he was loved, and as a family, we never forgot him.
In spite of his new punk name, Simon Snotface, we managed to trace Julie's brother, and I'm on my way to the South Coast with the news that she's been longing to hear.
Julie promised her mother that she would never give up looking for her brother.
And after decades of disappointing setbacks, today, I can tell her that her search is finally over.
-Oh, hi, Davina.
-Hi.
-Come on in.
-Thank you.
Thanks so much.
It's lovely to see you.
Lovely to see you too.
Um...
Thank you so much for talking to me today.
I suppose it's been almost-- it's been a lifelong mission for you, this.
-How long have you known about-- -Half a century.
In a weird sort of way, he's been part of your family, even though he hasn't been here.
Basically, he's a love I've never met.
'Cause Mum always said, "I wonder where he is.
I wonder what he's doing?"
And when Mum went into hospital, I can remember saying, "Look, whatever happens, I'm going to find him."
And she held my hand.
"Oh, Julie," she said, "if you ever find him," she said, "tell him I love him, and tell him I've always thought about him."
I have got news.
-We've found your brother.
-Oh, you haven't.
-We have.
-Oh, my God!
Really?
Oh, God!
Really?
Oh.
Sorry.
I don't know what to say.
-Been a long time.
-Yeah, it has.
Been a long time.
Whoa.
Sorry.
Hey.
-I can't believe it.
-It's good, isn't it?
-And he knows about me?
-Yeah.
-Really?
-Yeah.
-Was he happy?
-Yes.
That's good.
I'm glad.
My mum would be absolutely delighted that I found him.
It's something that she'd carried all her life.
I can't believe that.
I--I'm in shock.
He lived in Herfordshire until he was 4, with his adoptive parents, and he's got an adoptive sister.
-Well... -So, he wasn't alone.
That's good to know, though, isn't it?
[Davina] Is that nice to know?
It's good to know that he wasn't on his own.
Mm.
He was very close to his mum, but not so close to his dad.
His name was changed, so you wouldn't have been able to find him.
And they moved to Canada, and he joined the Canadian Army, um, traveled the world doing that.
And then, in the '70s, he was a punk rocker.
Whoa!
Punk rocker.
Wow!
My brother was a punk rocker!
[laughs] Have you ever wondered what he looks like?
Yes.
I've always thought that he'd look probably like my mum.
Oh.
[laughs] Oh.
Wow!
Amazing.
He's wonderful, isn't he?
He looks wonderful.
He looks like my granddad.
My mum's dad.
I'm... Oh, my.
Amazing.
I can't believe it.
He has written you a letter.
Um... Oh...
I don't know if I can read it, Davina.
Oh.
Would you read it?
-Are you sure?
-Yeah, I can't read it.
[Davina] "To Julie, little sister..." Aww.
"...this is the most incredible, earth-shaking moment in my life.
Growing up, over time, I managed to just accept being alone without relatives and not even think about it, because it was always centered around sadness.
You've plugged a hole in my heart.
What a feeling.
Okay, little sis', can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.
All my love, your big brother, Simon."
Do you know, I'm so happy that he wants to see us.
Did you think he might not want to?
I had doubts, yes.
But deep down, I thought, I hope that he wants to see-- see me and my family.
-It's a long time.
-Yeah, it is.
Whoa!
I've found my brother!
[keyboard clicking] [Julie] We found him in Vancouver.
This beautiful place like paradise.
[Mandy] Yeah, yeah.
Julie and her sister Mandy have traveled over 4,000 miles to meet their big brother for the first time.
[Mandy] I'm feeling very nervous.
I never thought that I would be here.
I've only ever been to London once!
[Julie] What do you think Mum would be thinking now?
She'd be the happiest woman in the world, wouldn't she?
Yeah.
Absolutely.
-She would be so happy.
-[Mandy] Yeah.
[Julie] Absolutely over the moon that we found him.
[Mandy] Yeah.
Okay?
Yeah.
[laughs] Is that happy tears?
-Happy tears, yeah.
-That's good.
[Julie] I'm really glad about that.
-[Mandy] Happy tears, yeah.
-Happy tears.
Simon has never met a single blood relative before.
[Simon] I've gone through a lot of stuff in my life...
I resigned myself to the fact that I was alone in the world.
I'm not scared, not nervous, I'm just anxious.
I want to see my sisters!
Julie is going to meet Simon first, and then Mandy will join them.
-[Mandy] All right, Jul?
-Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
-How do I look?
-You look nice.
-How do you feel?
-Um, a little bit, um... emotional and a bit apprehensive.
But other than that, I'm all good.
[Mandy] I know.
I've known for over half a century about Simon, and I've been searching for him 25 years-plus.
A long time.
Like, I keep thinking, "Oh, my God, I'm gonna see him in an hour."
I'm actually gonna see him in an hour!
[Julie] Love you a lot.
Love you.
-And I'll see you later, yeah?
-[Mandy] Yeah.
Good luck.
-Bye.
-Bye.
The siblings are meeting at a guest house close to Simon's home.
[sentimental music playing] Holy shit!
Hello.
-Hey, little sister!
-Hello!
[Julie] Hello.
[chuckles] [Simon cries] [Julie] It's lovely to meet you.
[Simon] Oh, God, sis'!
[Julie] Really lovely to meet you.
Okay?
-[Simon] Yeah.
-Let's go and sit down.
-[Julie] How have you been?
-Great.
Well, ever since the news, I was like, "Whoa!"
[Julie] Aww.
[laughs] Ever since I was 9, I've known about you.
You've always been in our thoughts, and all the family are so happy that you've been found.
Oh, it's like-- it's kind of like a shockwave, right?
I'm trying to-- after 65 years of thinking one way, like, in a flash, it all changes.
Yeah.
Oh, you're amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
I'm so happy.
[laughs] [Julie] It's like a dream, really.
I could feel that love and that connection.
It's almost like looking at my mum there.
It was hard for Mum.
I mean, all through her life, I've seen the sadness, the heartbreak, and she just wanted for me to tell you that she hopes that you didn't hate her.
Never.
Never, ever.
Impossible.
Yeah.
And, you know, Mum said just before she passed, "I hope you find him, and if you do ever find him..." just to give you the biggest hug and the biggest kiss, which I'm gonna do that... for our mum.
[Julie] I'm so happy to see you.
The moment she walked in, it was like: boom!
I got hit just, like, indescribable.
I've never had a feeling like that before.
It was a feeling of warmth, love, relief, happiness, joy, like, all at once, right?
It was just like, wow!
I heard you used to be a bit of a punk rocker?
-Ooh, yeah.
-Is that right?
Oh, yeah.
Oh...
I've got some tales of terror.
Your character is so much like my brother Stephan.
-Really?
-Yeah.
You're both outgoing.
The way you dress, the hat, you know, and everything else.
-Awesome, awesome, awesome.
-Yeah, yeah.
-Are you happy?
-Oh, I'm beyond-- -[Julie] Beyond happy.
-...beyond happy.
[Simon] It was like I'd never been parted from her.
And the enthusiasm, that just blows me away.
All fears of mine, like, doubts, gone.
[Simon] Hey, sis'.
[Simon cries] Oh.
[sniffs] Look at you.
Come on, have a seat, sis'.
[laughs] If Mum was looking down on us now, what would she be thinking?
She'd be thinking and feeling... tremendous.
Tremendous, yeah.
Really happy.
I know what you've done to my life, it's just like, I always felt, like, alone, right, and I'm so happy, I'm so completed.
I feel complete.
-You've got all of us.
-Yeah.
Yeah.
You're never gonna be on your own again.
My mum would be so, so, so happy that I found him.
I think, somewhere, she knows, and she's happy.
It's been very tough.
It's been a long journey, but...
I've found my brother.
I'm complete now.
I'm complete.
[Simon] I got little sisters!
Woohoo!
[all laugh] [peaceful music playing]

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