Adopted man reunited with long lost family after 42 years . . . and realises he’s been working with his brother for years
Dave Lowe, 57, was given up for adoption when he was just a few months old because mum Maureen was unable to cope
ADOPTED Dave Lowe spent nearly half a century searching for his family - and found he had been working with a brother he never knew he had for three years.
Dave, 57, was given up for adoption when he was just a few months old because mum Maureen was unable to cope.
Dave Lowe was reunited with his family in Newcastle after 42 years
As soon as he was old enough he began looking for his real family but with no success.
He even contacted Jeremy Kyle and ITV's Long Lost Families but they were unable to help.
His daughter Louise, 33, then took up the hunt and after some detective work on Genes Reunited and Facebook she came across a woman called Zoe Anderson.
She sent her a message with all Dave's details and a tearful Zoe replied: "It's me - I'm your dad's sister."
Dave was overjoyed to discover he had a sister and two brothers he never knew about - including one he used to pass every day in the corridor at the drinks factory where they both worked.
And he was moved to tears when his elderly mum sent a heart-rending text: "At last my dearest wish has come true - to find you before I die."
He said: "I found myself reunited with my mum which was just amazing.
"But being blessed with a beautiful sister and two fantastic brothers was like the bonus ball.
"This has made my life complete."
Dave's adopted family moved to Bradford, West Yorkshire, from the North East and although Maureen tried to keep in touch old adoption laws prevented a biological parent contacting the adoptive ones.
He said: "I would never blame my mum for what happened all those years ago.
"She was so young, only a teenager, and by giving me away showed responsibility far beyond her years.
"She knew that I would be well looked after."
Maureen, 76, of Newcastle, said: "I always had faith I would be reunited with my eldest son but sometimes I worried it would never happen.
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"My wish was that I would get to meet him again before I die and that has come true.
"I was heartbroken when I had to give him away, his father was absent and I was so young and would have really struggled.
"My last memory was of him as a tiny baby in my arms and now he is towering over me. I couldn't be more proud."
From being a young child Dave wondered about his real family and as soon as he was old enough he began looking for them.
He said: "I tried everything to find my family - I contacted Jeremy Kyle and Long Lost Families to see if they could help me but they could not slot me in.
"I tried to go through agencies but all they wanted was money and the costs were extortionate.
"I never knew that Louise had been doing some digging of her own to surprise me."
Louise entered her dad's details on Genes Reunited and came across a link to a family tree posted a decade ago by a woman called Lisa Anderson, who she later discovered was her cousin.
She then went onto Facebook to look for Lisa and came across a woman called Zoe Anderson, who turned out to be her aunt.
The main thing I have missed all my life is brothers and sisters
Louise said: "I was just drawn to her face so I messaged her with some details.
"When she got back to me she was crying and she said 'it's me - I'm your dad's sister'.
"Without Lisa putting that information on Genes Reunited we wouldn't have been able to make the link.
"I phoned my dad and asked if he was sitting down,"
Dave, who works as a pub DJ, said: "I thought there had been a tragedy in the family when she said that. But she didn't beat around the bush, she said 'Dad, I've found your mum'.
"I nearly fell off the couch, but the following sentence just sent it stratospheric as she said: 'You have also got two brothers and a sister'.
"The main thing I have missed all my life is brothers and sisters.
"I always wondered if I had any.
"Other kids at school would play games with their siblings and fight with them and do all the things brothers and sisters do but I didn't have that.
"I could never shake this feeling of loneliness.
"But now I have more company than I could ever have dreamed of - to find out that I have two brothers and a sister is the icing on the cake.
"I later found out they had been searching for me for 25 years."
The family had an emotional reunion at Maureen's home last week where Dave and Lewis were shocked to discover they used to work together at the Princes drinks factory in Bradford.
Although they never met they reckon they would have seen each each other almost every day during the three years they were both there in the 1990s.
Lewis, 56, of Bradford, who still works at the factory, said: "We must have passed each other every day and I never knew he was the brother that I had been searching for all my life.
"I could have seen his face before and never clicked on but I am just glad that we have now found each other.
"We only live a mile and a half away from each other."
Mum-of-five Zoe, 53, of Gateshead, said: "I had such an instant connection with Dave, it was as if we had known each other our whole lives.
"We are on the phone to each other at least three times a day and I am always left in hysterics when I hang up.
"He has taken on the big brother role straight away and already he is protective of me.
"Every birthday and Christmas I have wondered about Dave, but now it feels incredible that I will be able to catch up for all of that lost time."
And kitchen porter Chris, 50, of Newcastle, added: "I have always had a big brother, but now I have an even bigger brother as well.
"It has been an absolutely crazy week but Dave has always been in our thoughts."
Dad-of-one Dave, who also discovered he had eight nephews and nieces he didn't know about, now speaks to his family every day by phone.
He said: "We'll be meeting up as often as possible,
"I can't believe it has happened after all these years. I feel on top of the world."