Man Adopts Daughter 40 Years After Learning She Exists

A father just adopted his 40-year-old daughter, decades after discovering she existed.

Jennifer Skiles was born in Germany and spent her first three years with her biological mother before being adopted by a family in the United States. She grew up with happy memories of beach trips and fishing, but her childhood took a dark turn when her adoptive father began abusing her at age 12.

By 25, both her adoptive parents had died, leaving Skiles feeling completely alone. That's when she decided to search for her biological mother, armed with only a name and a last known location in Texas.

A move to Germany helped her obtain her original birth certificate, providing crucial clues. After paying for an online search and sending a letter, she received a call two weeks later from a woman with a shaky voice who said her name was Cheryl.

The reunion blossomed into a close, loving relationship. But twelve years later, Cheryl died in a car crash, leaving one mystery unsolved: the identity of Skiles' father, who had never known she existed.

Cheryl had told her that she and Skiles' father met while serving in the military and spent a romantic weekend together in New York before going their separate ways. Years later, a DNA match through Ancestry led Skiles to Rhode Island and to Paul Lonardo.

"I sent a message to my dad, I said, 'I know you're just as nervous as I am, I'm praying for both of us,'" Skiles recalled. "And then, he called. And it was just like home."

Lonardo had kept something remarkable from that weekend 40 years ago: a small bar of soap from the hotel. "Being a 19-year-old kid, I don't know why, but just something told me to save this," he said.

For Skiles, the keepsake proved something powerful. "I always mattered," she said. "Somehow, he knew."

Sunny's Take

Both father and daughter are left-handed, and Skiles has embraced learning about her Italian heritage, even traveling to Italy. They've discovered shared traits and created new memories, focusing on the time they have now rather than the years they missed.

"When she told me how it was, I was like 'the same reason you're looking for me is the same reason I'll never let you out of my sight,'" Lonardo said.

Recently, they made their bond official when Lonardo legally adopted Skiles. "I want my dad's name to be attached to me," she said. "And I just think it's so beautiful."

Skiles has written a book about her journey called "Vault of Treasures," available on Amazon.