Tony was estranged from his father for over 40 years, but he often said he wouldn’t be surprised if he had a sibling out there.

He used to think that there would be a knock on the door and his Dad would be standing there.

I used a genealogy site to record our family connections and to see if his father was still alive.

I discovered his father’s name, and the details seem to match, so I made a link to our family tree. It seemed Tony’s father had died several months after his mum in the same year.  So after several months of linking his father to our family tree, I noticed someone had also linked to his father. It seemed his dad had remarried and had a second son.

Guess what, honey? I think you may have a half-brother, I blurted out one day.

I made contact just stating I think we may be related, and Alex made contact.
Yes, his Dad was Tony’s father’s, and he had died the same year as his mum, and he had lived in Sunderland.

I broke the news to Tony and Alex, who shared photos which confirmed that it was indeed Tony’s father.

This was hard for Tony as his father had left him and his Mum when he was very young.

His dad had put his life back together, remarried, and had a son. There was no contact made with his mum or Tony since he left them.

Alex loved his Dad, and his relationship and memories were so different from Tony’s. He had been fourteen when his Dad died.

Tony eventually spoke to Alex over the telephone, and Alex is currently living in Australia.
We have exchanged messages over social media but we have not met Alex yet.

Alex’s mum still lives in Sunderland, and she did tell him she knew about Tony. This was when he was eight years old, but Alex had no recollection of this.

This was in 2024, and we are now in 2025. Alex is still living in Australia but does come back to the UK to visit his mother.

Family and relationships are important because they form the foundation of our social and emotional wellbeing. They give us identity, connection, and a feeling of being valued and loved.

When any part of this is taken away, your childhood can be affected but you learn to grow and develop your strengths, and find ways to cope, learn and love. Creativity grows …..

Strong, positive relationships are linked with better mental health, reduced stress, and even longer life expectancy.

Who knows over the next year, we may get to meet Alex in the UK or somewhere else!

Alex and Tony both read this post before I published it. Life is too short …. 💖