Prepare your tissues because a video has gone viral that shows the first time a man who was abandoned as a baby meets his biological family.
In September 1984, 40-year-old Jon Scarlett-Phillips was discovered in the restroom at a recreation centre parking lot close to Milton Keynes, UK.
Jon had been left by his biological mother, wrapped in a blanket, and put in a shopping bag with his placenta still in it.
Three adolescent females located Jon, who was able to contact an ambulance and provide the infant with all the necessary medical attention.
In an attempt to track down his birth mother, Jon shared his incredible experience on ITV’s Long Lost Family: Born Without a Trace.
He told the programme: “I was found by three girls. Finding something like that at that age is absolutely crazy. I’m grateful, very grateful that they heard me and found me. They’re the ones that saved my life.”
Fortunately, Jon was adopted by John and Marilyn and grew up with his big sister Debbie, leading to a very happy childhood.
Still, Jon’s life had been impacted by a large emptiness.
“I didn’t want to search for a very long time,” the chef, now based in Wiltshire, said. “The question is still there: Why did she do it?”
At the age of 18, Jon nearly overdosed and pledged never to do drugs again after he ‘fell off the rails’ after a horrific tragedy that left his adopted mother with brain damage.
The chef’s spouse also encouraged Jon to look for answers about his history, and Jon attributes his salvation to his wife Becky.
The Long Lost Family team found that Jon’s birth mother was still alive and that she was 20 years old when she gave birth to him after a protracted search.
When she became pregnant with Jon, they also learnt that she had two small kids.
“I suspect she surprisingly found herself pregnant with Jon, and I think she couldn’t cope. When she left him, she was mentally in a very bad place,” said Long Lost Family’s Ariel Bruce.
Although Jon’s two-half sisters were eager to meet him, his birth mother was not yet prepared to do so at the time of filming.
The first time Jon saw his siblings, whose identities were concealed to save their mother’s identity, is captured in a very moving video.
The siblings immediately clicked during the heartwarming moment, catching up on so much time that had been lost.
Even though Jon’s birth mother wasn’t there, the sisters showed him a message they had from her.
It read: “Hi, I’ve sent this message to the girls so they can let you know the reasons why I’m not with them today.”
“Unfortunately, I feel unable, both physically and mentally, to come today following a long period of illness.”
“It’s not a no Jon, it’s just time,” one of the sisters said as it was read aloud, while Jon told the programme, “I feel a lot lighter. I feel a bit more full, as well. That emptiness has disappeared completely now. I’m a happy man.”
