Foundlings on long lost family.

[TrexTeeth]

These stories always amaze me! This lovely guy had found his dad and half siblings who all now live in Florida!

A jaw dropping story this evening.

These are amazing stories. I feel quite wrung out emotionally! It is wonderful that they have closure and find blood relatives for the first time. Seeing a photo of your mum for the first time is mind blowing.

Paul's dad sounded a wrongun. What about the lady's mum? Was she not identified ?

@TrexTeeth , Ariel said it was complicated, maybe the birth mother of the lady hasn't ever told anyone that she gave birth etc.

The unimaginable hell of giving birth with your husband's mistress present then the rotten bastard taking the baby away and uniting you and her in pain. `what he says, goes'.

What suffering, because of one man. Yet his many children have united and are brave, kind people.

Programmes like this highlight how much lay beneath the surface of society only a few decades ago. I speak to people about these kind of issues because of my work and it makes me realise that anyone my age or older could be carrying around any kind of secret like this, it's unbelievably common.

Yes today and yesterday featured really unpleasant fathers.
The poor mother left to work 12 hours a day to feed 4 children in Yorkshire and not being able to tell anyone her husband had left Incase the children were taken away.

It's odd how the dad left to go to Australia and have another child. Apparently that child had a great life. Perhaps just having 1 child suited him more ? He sounded a horror though.

He died quite young in Australia didnt he...maybe before he had time to ruin more lives.
I wonder how many mothers who had several kids let the baby be abandoned to avoid social workers coming round.
The science is amazing when joined to the detective work.

I found this series incredibly touching although I wish they were a bit clearer about how they actually traced people. It’s horrible to think of those poor women who had to leave their babies in that way. All the birth families seemed genuinely pleased to have been found and I hope they will keep in contact.
The man who found his birth father in Florida was over the moon. He couldn’t stop looking at his dad. However at the end, it didn’t say they’d kept in touch. I hope that’s not the case.

The Florida dad was a real movie star looker!
Id like to know more about about how things pan out. If they find both birth families does that complicate relationships?
And I would like to see what way Ariel traces people from the dna database. That seems interesting. And she is very beautifully spoken!

Just watched all the latest episodes. I honestly think long last family is one of the best things in tv. So interesting and moving.

If they find the mothers do they have to assure them they won't be charged with anything ? I always think they must worry about the repercussions. Its funny how the dad's always claim to have no idea 🙄

@TrexTeeth yes I always find that dubious as well. Sometimes it crosses my mind that these women might have suffered all their lives and longed to meet their children but never get the chance. Then the biological father who may have never given it a second thought gets gifted a adult child to look after them in their old age. Seems very unfair.

It did occur to me that they always feature cases where they trace the father, but the mother tends to be deceased. Is this because they don’t want to interview a woman who may have to answer awkward questions about leaving their baby in a phone box or whatever? Whereas the fathers can just say they didn’t know.

It is truly an amazing programme. Ariel reminds me of Edwina Currie.

@dayswithaY , I think the deep trauma of giving birth in such hidden and traumatic circumstances, (ie the baby removed and left rather than adopted so the mother knows it will survive) tends to shorten your life expectancy.

Agree with @tennissquare I think these women by and large have traumatic lives and deprivation may also be an issue. Those factors aren’t conducive to good health. I did watch the American version of this and there was one foundling that found her very elderly mother. It was an amazing watch but the mother was I think a very hardy strong character

Yes and I wouldn’t want to watch someone having to explain their actions all these years later and feeling judged for it.

What channel is this on please?

I wondered lately whether existing siblings ever get funny about wills/inheritance now potentially being split more ways than originally expected.

Thing is if someone I had no idea about or wasn't brought up with came into my life as a parent had dumped them I would be concerned about inheritance

@TrexTeeth, not only do they get dumped by their parent(s), but their sibling(s) potentially reject them in favour of money!

Well yeah I don't think I'm the only one who'd be concerned. My oh is an only child and he said he'd rather not have a long lost sibling if it meant he'd have to share his mum's house 😅

@CarpeVitam it was on itv. I think there is a new series soon of non foundling long lost family.
My wider family had an adopted son turn up. Sadly after his mum had died. My husband has a huge family and hates the idea of someone appearing on the scene. But watches Long Lost Family.

@eggandonion Thank you 😊

Back to the normal format this week but what a moving episode, 2 wonderful stories.