New Zealand woman Kelly Francis meets her father after 26 years when her mother saw him on the news

Daughter, 29, tracks down and meets her estranged father for the first time in more than 26 YEARS after her mother spotted him on the TV news

  • Kelly Francis found her estranged father after her mum spotted him on the news
  • Her mother recognised her ex-partner Darrell McGrath on Newshub on Friday
  • Ms Francis had been desperately trying to track him down since she was 23 
  • She found him on Facebook and now the pair are arranging to meet in person

A woman miraculously tracked down her father for the first time in more than two decades after her mother spotted him on the news.

Kelly Francis, 29, hadn’t seen her father, Darrell McGrath in 26 years until her mother recognised his voice while watching Newshub on Friday night in her home in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Ms Francis’ mother had split with Mr McGrath when she was just 18 months old and she had been on a desperate search to reunite with him since she was 23.

Kelly Francis was able to reconnect with her estranged father Darrell McGrath (pictured) after 26 years when her mother spotted him on the news

Mr McGrath from Timaru had appeared on the news discussing the dangers of drivers stopping to take photos with flowers on the side of a busy highway near Tekapo.

‘She said, ”Oh my gosh, I think that’s Kelly’s dad” to my brother and my stepdad,’ Ms Francis told Newshub.

Following a church event on that same night, the 29-year-old’s mother told her daughter she’d found the person she had been searching for.

Immediately, Ms Francis jumped onto Facebook and managed to find him after confirming his middle name and that he had a twin brother.

Ms Francis (pictured with her husband) said she had been desperately looking for her father since she was 23 - after her parents split when she was a toddler

Ms Francis (pictured with her husband) said she had been desperately looking for her father since she was 23 – after her parents split when she was a toddler

After looking through her photos, her father responded: ‘I think you’re my daughter.’ 

The pair are yet to meet in person, as Mr McGrath said he’s still saving enough money to make the long journey to see her.

Ms Francis said she offered to pay but her father refused.

‘I really want to see him. He really wants to see me. It’s really buzzy,’ she said.

Timaru is more than 1,000 kilometres away from Tauranga.

Ms Francis and Mr McGrath (pictured) are now arranging tickets to meet one another in person

Ms Francis and Mr McGrath (pictured) are now arranging tickets to meet one another in person

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk