DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — With Christmas less than 10 days away, one Virginia man has already received the gift of a lifetime.
Roy Irvine was adopted at birth in Norfolk, Virginia. He finally met his biological mother after a decades-long search with the help of a DNA kit. It’s a story that started nearly 60 years ago.
“It was very lengthy, very painstaking,” Irvine said about the search for his biological parents.
When his adopted parents passed away in 1991, he began his search with only a maiden name and a black and white photo. Three decades later, the search continued. Two years ago, however, Irvine’s wife got him an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas.
Five weeks ago, Irvine’s life changed with one notification.
“I went to my Ancestry profile and there was a match. It was just surreal,” Irvine said.
The match was Irvine’s biological mother, who lives in Texas. Two days later, they were on the phone. Then, on Dec. 3, they finally met.
It was a hug 59 years in the making.
“Best Christmas present ever,” Irvine said. “I guess the blessing in this is that she was looking for me. It was just unbelievable, it was an instant love.”