Linda Brown, who has been anxiously waiting to meet her biological father her entire life, finally got the chance at a Canmore hotel on Friday afternoon.
Brown was adopted when she was two months old but successfully connected with her, since deceased, birth mother several years ago and asked for details regarding her father. All she learned about him was that he had been stationed in St. Anthony, Newfoundland between 1967-1968.
The 50-year-old, who currently lives in Fort McMurray with her family, submitted her DNA to MyHeritage which allowed her to connect with a biological aunt and then her biological father, Dallas Roger Stone, 75, who resides in Utah.
Stone reached out to Brown after discovering, through his sister, the Canadian woman was his daughter.
Stone was stationed in St. Anthony from 1967 through 1969 as a member of the U.S. Air Force. Brown was born in 1969.
"It’s surreal. I can't believe it. It has been a struggle for me for years to get to today, but it's worth it," he said at the meeting.
Stone never knew Linda existed and says the first hug he had with her was a moment he would never forget.
“It probably replaces that first moment when you pick up a child out of the hospital,” he said. “I mean it’s unbelievable, I didn’t want to let go and I could tell she didn’t want to let go and of course you get teary-eyed.”
The pair has been speaking on the phone, through text messages and social media since October of last year. Prior to Friday, the father and daughter had not met in person.
Brown plans on visiting Stone’s family in Utah next month. The pair plan on attending an Elton John concert in Salt Lake City to celebrate this reunion and Stone’s upcoming birthday.
