For The First Time In 58 Years, I Have A Father

I never had a father. But after 58 years, in May 2024, I received a text message that changed everything:

Pia, I think I’m your dad.

My story begins in the fall of 1965, when my mom met my biological father for a one-night adventure. My mom, then 19, was already living with her soon-to-be-husband, who was 16 years older than her. She soon found out that she was pregnant. I don’t know whether or not she knew the truth about the father, but in the 60s, it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to be pregnant and unmarried. So she assumed her boyfriend was the father, and in January 1966, they were married.

I was born on July 19, 1966, in Lund, Skåne County. My mother had just turned 20. Her marriage didn’t last long — they divorced when I was 18 months old. The man I’d been told was my father never claimed me, and I never met him again after the age of 5.

I grew up with several stepfathers, but none truly became a father figure. My stepfather and mom sometimes argued. It was during one of these arguments he blurted out that the man I thought was my dad most likely was not. I was 15 years old, and I confronted my mom about this.

We had no name for my real father

My mom admitted that the man she’d had a fling with could indeed be my biological father. She had no name for him — it had been one fleeting night. When she told me, I didn’t think much about it. It was only later, when I had my own children, that I wanted to find out who their grandfather was.

That began our journey into trying to track down my father.

A decades-long search began

We began our search in the 90s, but there wasn’t much to go on. My mom mentioned that he could have been a mailman in Halmstad who was temporarily working at the post office in Lund. However, the trail stopped there. The Post Office claimed confidentiality, and pursuing it further would have required lawyers and court involvement. We didn’t have the financial means or enough details to pursue it further. There, we gave up.

Still, my mom often said she wished I could meet him. Over the years, she noticed I resembled him. She didn’t remember his name, but she remembered his face.

My husband understood how much I had missed

Our search went cold, and life went on without a father. In 2018, I married my husband Thomas. I’d told him all about my search. A year after we were married, he got me a DNA test for my birthday.

Thomas said he hoped it would help me find answers. He has two daughters and couldn’t bear the thought of not being there for them. He understood how much I had missed.

On August 13, 2019, my DNA test was registered at MyHeritage. Initially, I eagerly checked every week if any dad had appeared for me. But there were no results for years. Over time, I forgot about it.

The message that changed everything

Then, in May 2024, I received a text message that changed my life. It was from a man who said he had matched with me and believed he might be my biological dad.

That early summer was tumultuous but exciting. We met twice, and the feeling of hugging my own dad for the first time was magical. I saw so much of myself in him. I also discovered two half-siblings, one of whom I have now met.

It’s the beginning of a relationship I humbly believe will continue to grow, even after 58 years of living without a father. For him, too, it’s an adjustment — he never knew I existed. I am grateful to finally know his name, and that he has welcomed me into his life.

It was my dad who found me

At the time of writing, Christmas has just passed, and I’ve been looking back on everything that happened in 2024. The biggest thing, of course, has been that it was my dad who found me. These past months have strengthened my sense of identity. For example, I learned that my diabetes runs in the family — my biological grandmother had it too.

My entire existence has gained new meaning and answers. I now understand why I chose to move back to Skåne after spending 30 years in Norrland. Something was always pulling me toward southern Sweden, though I didn’t know why.

I am finally someone’s daughter

Pia’s first birthday receiving a wake-up call from her dad

I was so moved by our new relationship I wanted to make it official. I contacted the District Court to sue the estate of the man I was legally registered as a daughter to. A forensic investigation, including another DNA test, was conducted as part of the legal process. The results confirmed what the MyHeritage test had shown: my newly found father is 99.999% my biological dad. The original MyHeritage test was very credible.

I have even taken on my father’s surname. It is the first time I’ve taken a surname that feels like my own. I have been an orphan since 2004 when my mother died, but this year, 20 years later, I got a father. Magical.

It feels a little sad to think about how much time we missed out on. I wonder how both our lives might have been different if he had known. But I am incredibly grateful he has accepted me so warmly. We meet, talk, and get to know each other, and I couldn’t be happier. I am finally someone’s daughter.

Many thanks to Pia for sharing her wonderful story with us! If you’ve also made a life-changing discovery thanks to MyHeritage, we’d love to hear about it. Please send it to us via this form, or email us at stories@myheritage.com.