A secret pregnancy at 15

Pat was pulled out of school in 1963 when her parents discovered she was pregnant. They hid her away at home until she gave birth, with plans for immediate adoption.

An instant bond, then torn apart

A nurse accidentally placed newborn Steven in Pat's arms. When another nurse discovered the error, the baby was taken away as Pat lay crying. She never saw him again.

“I just lay there crying”

All she had was photographs

Pat's mother arranged for a professional photographer to take pictures of Steven a few weeks after his birth. These photos became Pat's most treasured possession for decades.

Life went on, but the pain remained

Pat eventually married Dave and adopted four daughters, but the loss of Steven never faded. After Dave's death, she decided to search for her son.

Reaching out to Long Lost Family

Pat contacted the TV show Long Lost Family to help track down Steven. The team began searching for the son she had given up 63 years earlier.

Steven became Rick

The search revealed that Steven had changed his name to Richard, or Rick, and was living in Bedford. He had built a life the adoption agency never told Pat about.

He's a driving instructor

When Davina McCall asked Pat to guess Rick's profession, Pat immediately said 'Not a driving instructor?' Rick had unknowingly followed the exact career path of the mother he never knew.

“Not a driving instructor?!”

The same profession, same face

Not only did Rick become a driving instructor like Pat, but Davina told Pat that Rick looks very much like her. Pat agreed, repeating 'that's my son' as she looked at his photograph.

“that's my son”

A family he built

Rick has two children: a son and a step-daughter. When Pat learned about them, she realized she had become a great-grandmother without ever knowing her son.

“Oh my god, I'm a great-grandma”

Emotional reunion on screen

Pat became visibly emotional when Davina told her Steven had been found. She blew a kiss at his photograph and marveled at how much he resembled her.

“That's my son, I can't believe I'm saying that”

Decades of wondering, finally answered

The reunion marked the end of Pat's 63-year quest to learn about the baby she was forced to give up. After decades of holding onto his photographs, she finally knew his story.

From Essex to Edinburgh

Pat, now 77, lives in Edinburgh. She spent most of her life in Essex, where she was hidden away during her pregnancy and where she raised her adopted daughters.

The power of television

Long Lost Family, a show that reunites separated relatives, helped Pat find her son after she reached out following her husband's death. The episode aired on ITV and ITVX.

A story of forced adoption

Pat's experience reflects a darker chapter in adoption history when teenage mothers were pressured to give up babies with no contact allowed. Her parents' insistence on secrecy shaped her entire life.

The bond that never broke

Despite 63 years of separation, Pat and Rick shared an uncanny connection. They chose the same profession and bore a striking physical resemblance, suggesting bonds that transcend adoption.

A mother's enduring love

Pat held onto Steven's photographs for over six decades, never forgetting the moment a nurse placed him in her arms. Her search for him proved that a mother's love survives even forced separation.

Aired on Long Lost Family

Pat's reunion with Rick aired on Long Lost Family on Thursday, September 17th at 9pm on ITV and ITVX. The episode captured the emotional moment when a 77-year-old woman finally learned her son's story.