First as a child, then as a parent, 57-year-old farmer Sian Jones, was denied a loving mother and daughter bond; her adoptive mother, she says, was not affectionate and Sian lost a baby daughter late in pregnancy. Now in an episode of ITV's Long Lost Family on Monday, July 4, Sian takes up the search for her birth mother.
Sian, who lives on a farm in Gwynedd with her partner Gary, begins her search in Llanfyllin - the Powys village where her mother, whom she previously discovered was called Sylvia Humphries, had stayed during her pregnancy. Sian had found out her identity from her adoption paperwork. Upon visiting the workhouse where Sylvia stayed when she was pregnant, Sian said: “To any young mum, it must have been frightening to be told that you can’t keep your unborn child.”
Twenty years ago, Sian was told that Sylvia had gone to “live by her daughter in Wrexham,” after visiting her birth mother's home. When Sian discovered this, it confirmed to her that she had a younger sister. Since then, the Welsh farmer has been unable to find her birth family. “I need to know what could have been or what was,” she said.
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Following extensive research, the Long Lost Family team discovered that Sian’s birth mother had moved to Staffordshire and unfortunately, Sylvia had passed away in 2007. Despite this, their search for surviving children continued and it was here that they found out her other daughter's name - Sharon.
Host Nicky Campbell met with Sharon, whom he hoped would shed light on why Sian was put up for adoption. Although Sharon didn’t want her face to be shown on camera, she did have a further surprise for the Long Lost Family presenter - a third sibling called Stuart, who was also adopted. He had reconnected with her four years ago and had also never met his birth mother.
Sharon said: “Mum would have been 16 when she had Sian and the authorities felt that she wouldn’t have been able to cope with a baby.” She then revealed that when Sylvia was 18, she fell pregnant with her and “didn’t want the same thing to happen” and she therefore kept her second child. Three years later, Sylvia was forced to give up a second child, Stuart, as she was “unable to afford" another child.
A heartbroken Sylvia didn’t talk about Sian or Stuart a lot with Sharon because it was "too painful". Sharon described how, if Sylvia found out that the three had reconnected, she would be “so pleased and it would have made her life”. The siblings agreed to meet their sister.
Long Lost Family host, Davina McCall, breaks the news to Sian. Immediately breaking down into tears, Sian was lost for words and just managed to utter: “It’s something I’ve always wanted.” She added that she has “come home”. She is overwhelmed to discover the existence of Stuart also.
Stuart and Sharon travelled to Wales from Staffordshire to meet their sister for the first time. Sharon described how the day was “hugely momentous” for her. In emotional scenes, Sian reunites with her siblings and is, in her words, “speechless”. For Sian, the “fear of rejection and not being a part of anything” has been lifted and she is thrilled to finally meet her brother and sister.
Long Lost Family airs on ITV on Monday, July 4 at 9pm
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