A YOUNG woman who was the result of a one-night stand in the back of a lorry has tracked down her trucker dad – who had no idea she even existed.
Kennedy Wilson wondered about the identity of her father her entire life after being raised by her mum Claire Wilson from birth.
The 29-year-old said her mum was always “hesitant” to reveal any information about her dad out of embarrassment for how she was conceived.
It wasn’t until Kennedy was a teenager that she discovered she was the result of a one-night stand in the back of a lorry.
Kennedy, who lives near Newcastle, says her mum tried to track down the mystery lorry driver after discovering she was pregnant but was reportedly told he was due to be married.
After her mum’s death in 2014, Kennedy felt even more determined to track down her father using just three pieces of information.
“I thought it would be impossible because she was the only one that had the information that could help,” she said.
“I knew it was something to do with an electricity lorry, my mam believed he had a Yorkshire accent and I put together the time of year I would’ve been conceived and I knew they met on a night out in Whitley Bay.”
Kennedy turned super sleuth to track him down, but after countless appeals online proved unsuccessful, she underwent an Ancestry DNA test in April last year.
A cousin match on her dad’s side was able to narrow down her father’s identity to just two names.
After appealing for help on social media, Kennedy was given Alan’s mobile number and made contact with her possible dad after nearly 30 years.
Kennedy contacted the semi-retired lorry driver from Pontrefract, Yorkshire – who confirmed her details about him were correct.
Alan, 57, was shocked to discover he had a daughter from his liaison decades before – and the pair have since formed a strong bond.
“My mam was always very hesitant to tell me anything [about my dad],” Kennedy said.
“I think she tried to convince herself that I had come from a loving relationship.
“I think she was a bit embarrassed that it happened from a one-night stand.”
However, the reunion helped Kennedy feel like she’d finally found a missing puzzle piece.
I left a voicemail to say ‘I might be your daughter’ and didn’t hear anything.
Kennedy Wilson
“Growing up, nearly everyone at school had both parents so I felt a bit different,” she recalled.
“I felt like there was something missing in my life.
“Last year my friend found out that her dad had other kids after she did an Ancestry test and something in my brain just clicked.
“I thought this could be my last chance.”
When she received her potential father’s contact information, she decided to take the leap.
“I left a voicemail to say ‘I might be your daughter’ and didn’t hear anything,” Kennedy said.
“He had no idea I even existed. He’d never heard anything from my mam after that night so in his eyes it was done.
Kennedy Wilson
“I text him as well to say I believed I could be his daughter.
“Part of me prepared myself for him maybe not wanting a relationship with me.
“He replied that evening to say he was shocked.
“He said as soon as he heard about the lorry in Whitley Bay, he knew.
“He had no idea I even existed.
“He’d never heard anything from my mam after that night so in his eyes it was done.”
Dad-of-two Alan said it was the “strangest feeling” when he discovered he had a daughter that he never knew existed.
“As soon as I heard the information about a lorry park, I put two and two together,” Alan said.
“Kennedy had more or less pinpointed where she was conceived.
“Her mother told me she had taken the morning after pill.
“I thought the world had fallen out my backside.
“It was the strangest feeling. I had no idea she even existed. I didn’t want her to feel mad at me, I was oblivious to it all.
“I’m probably not the first lorry driver to do something like this. You just don’t expect 29 years later for someone to come looking for you.”
The pair spoke on the phone for the following month before deciding to meet halfway between their homes in September last year.
“He said I was the spitting image of his sister. I think at first we didn’t know how to talk, then the conversation just sort of flowed,” Kennedy said.
“I’d always known that my dad was out there somewhere.
“If you’re thinking of doing your own journey, don’t wait. I wasted eight years pondering whether I should do it or not and I wish I did it a lot sooner. Everyone deserves answers.”
“As soon as she got out of the car, it was like looking at my little sister. It doesn’t feel like talking to a stranger. It’s like I’ve known her for ages,” Alan added.
“It’s a strange feeling. It’s like I’ve gained something I never knew I had.”
