A man who was left as a newborn in a plastic bag has finally found his birth family.
Jon Scarlett-Phillips, who’s now 40, met his half-sisters in an emotional reunion on the UK show Long Lost Family. The episode aired on June 25, according to The Independent.
Jon was found in a toilet wrapped in a plastic bag
Back in September 1984, Jon was just a newborn when someone found him in the bathroom of a swimming pool car park in Milton Keynes, around 50 miles north of London.
He had been wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a plastic bag. His placenta was still attached.
Three girls came across him and saved his life
Three teenage girls were the ones who spotted the plastic bag. They realized there was a baby inside and quickly got help and called for an ambulance.
“I was found by three girls,” Scarlett-Phillips said on the show, according to the outlet. “I’m grateful, very grateful that they heard me and found me. They’re the ones that saved my life.”
His childhood was loving, but the past still lingered
Jon was adopted later on and grew up in a stable home. Now, he lives with his wife Becky and their teenage son, who’s 17.
He said he had a “good childhood” overall. But still, knowing he was what’s called a “foundling” stuck with him. It caused some anger issues, as The Daily Mail shared.
Looking for his birth mother wasn’t an easy decision
He shared that it took him a long time to feel ready to search for his birth family. It was something he put off for a while.
“I didn’t want to search for a very long time. It’s hard, it’s hard to deal with,” he said.
“The question is still there: ‘Why did she do it?’ ” he added.
A TV show became the bridge to his past
Eventually, he went on Long Lost Family, a show that helps reunite people with long-lost relatives. His main hope was to find his birth mother.
Scarlett-Phillips, who was later adopted, went on the TV show, which helps reunite long-lost family members, in the hope of tracking down his birth mother.
He found sisters, but his mother couldn’t be there
Jon didn’t get to meet his birth mother after all. But he was able to connect with his half-sisters.
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They told him their mom was 20 when she gave birth to him. Sadly, she was going through a long-term illness and wasn’t well enough, mentally or physically, to be part of the reunion.
Meeting his sisters brought a wave of emotion
“Hi, very nice to meet you,” Scarlett-Phillips said as he hugged his sisters, whose faces had been blurred to protect the privacy of their mother.
Scarlett-Phillips then spoke about a letter that his sisters had sent him, describing it as “beautiful.”
“We’ve always wanted a brother,” his sister said on the show, which is presented by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell.
Jon now finally feels like he belongs: “Well you’ve now got one and I’m not going anywhere,” he stated, according to the newspaper.
