LOST Lost Family viewers tonight said they had broken down in tears over one of the “most heartwarming” stories that has ever been aired on the show.
The emotional episode saw Nicholas Rhoades, 50, embarked on a search for his birth mum after losing his adoptive mum when he was 18, and his father, Donald, not long after.
Nicholas was shocked to find his sister waiting for him in the house where his mother lived, as she never moved just in case he came looking for her.
Nicholas, from Wallington, lives around the corner from where he grew up his wife Sandra, and he has three daughters and three grandchildren.
He called his adoptive mum, Kathleen, the “best mum in the world”, who loved children.
He said: “Even if she could have kids I think she would have tried to adopt us. She was that kind of woman.”
Amazingly his birth certificate listed his biological mother’s name – and the address she lived when she had him.
Nicholas drove to her house a few times, but was always unable to get out of the car.
But little did he know his sister, Cayley Cox, an estate agent, was waiting inside for him.
Cayley, who’s stayed in the house in Suffolk for 52 years, said: “I’ve been waiting here for my brother for over 30 years now.
“I know that sounds mad, but it’s where mum was. And I thought if I stayed here, he’d know where to come. He’d find his way home.”
When they were finally reunited, TV viewers said they were unable to hold it together, and said they had “run out of tissues” during the ITV show.
One wrote: “Balling watching #LongLostFamily what a wonderful episode so much love. The most heart warming tv series.”
Another added: “If tears are a stress relief, I should sleep well tonight.”
Meanwhile another added: “At least they eventually all found each other thanks to @longlostfamily I haven’t cried this much in ages.”
Cayley’s mum, Jacqueline Cruz, had met an American serviceman when she was seven, and moved abroad with him, so she was brought up her gran, Beatrice.
Cayley said: “I remember standing on the end of the sofa giving her a kiss and off she went.
“And my nan saying to me, it’s just me and you kid.”
Jacqueline had two more children and settled in America, and Cayley rarely saw her.
She said: “It was hard, I felt very lonely sometimes. But I had my nan. She was everything to me.”
When she was 22, a family friend told her she had a younger brother.
She confronted her nan who cried but admitted she had a brother, and Cayley contacted the adoption agency who said she couldn’t contact him but could write a letter.
She said: “I tried to write the letter so many times but I just couldn’t. I could never seem to find the right words to start it.
“I made the decision I was going to stay here. I thought if he got access to his adoption certificate or records, there would be some address in there where mum had been living at.
“So hopefully if Nicholas ever came looking he could find me.”
After searching for him years, she said: “I need to know who he is.”
The family are the latest to appear on ITV’s Long Lost Family, presented by Davina McCall.
The show revealed it was the first time in history they had two parties both looking for each other, and had come so close.
As Cayley prepared to meet her brother, she explained why he had been adopted.
She said: “It’s difficult to talk to mum about it, I was already here, nan was a single lady as well, so for the pair of them to have brought up two of us, would have been difficult.
“Mum was really young. There was a lot of social stigma.”
Cayley revealed she had spoken to her mum – in America – and told her Nicholas had got in touch.
She’s been out there for more than 40 years, with her half-brother and sister.
The team flew to Chicago to meet Jacqueline, who said she always thought after her son.
She said: “I always wondered if he would look for me, every year I was always sit by myself and say happy birthday Nicholas.
“I was praying he had a good life.”
I fed him, bathed him, changed, kissed him, cuddled him. Then they told me they had to take him and I cried like a baby.
Jacqueline talking about biological son Nicholas
Explaining why she gave him up, she said she was working, and then she discovered she was pregnant while Cayley was a toddler.
“Back then there was no help,” she said.
After Nicholas was born, she stayed with him for three days and three nights.
The mum-of-four said: “I fed him, bathed him, changed, kissed him, cuddled him. Then they told me they had to take him and I cried like a baby.”
Nicholas was moved to tears to find out he was so close to his family when he drove to the house.
As he saw photos of his family he said: “Finally I look at someone and can see where that bloody nose comes from!”
Nicholas and Cayley are finally reunited in an emotional moment, as they hug and shed a tear.
He said: “Thank you so much for not moving.”
Cayley said: “50 years melted away”, as she handed him a birthday card, and they joked about “the family nose”.
I always wondered if he would look for me, every year I was always sit by myself and say happy birthday Nicholas. I was praying he had a good life.
Jacqueline talking about biological son Nicholas
Cayley added: “I’ve got my brother and I’m not letting him go.”
And Jacqueline makes the 4,000-mile trip to see the son she hasn’t laid eyes on in 50 years.
She said: “I’m all jumbled up inside, but excited more than anything else.
“I never thought when I last held him on the last day I would ever see him again.”
He thanked her for giving him his adoptive mum and dad, calling them the “best parents”.
Nicholas said: “Thank you so much for everything. Thank you for giving me my mum and dad.
“Thank you so much for being so brave.”
Nicholas said: “I never thought it would get to this point, I never thought I’d find everything. My mum, my sister. Truly I’m over the moon.”
And Jacqueline said: “This is the best day of my life.”
Jacqueline stayed in the UK for two weeks and met Nicholas’ family, and he and Cayley remained in touch.
Long Lost Family airs on ITV on Mondays at 9pm.
We recently a woman taken into care aged four is shocked to discover she has eight siblings on Long Lost Family.
And this image of a mum in agony moments after giving birth has hit a nerve with parents.
Meanwhile this husband was in shock after he discovered his wife’s multiple affairs by reading her Facebook messages.
