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After 40 years, Irving woman finally finds her father
This Christmas is extra special for Sydney Lawrence. After years of searching for her biological father, she finally gets to spend Christmas with him this year.
IR - This is a special Christmas for Irving resident Sydney Lawrence. She had been on a mission for years to find her biological father and finally got to meet him for the first time on Christmas Eve.
Lawrence was born in a Temple, Texas hospital and adopted as a baby by a Dallas woman.
It was a closed adoption, meaning the records of her biological parents were kept sealed.
Fast-forward nearly four decades, Lawrence and her biological father, Terry Travis, met on Christmas Eve at her Irving home.
"When I walked out of that hospital that day I was in tears. It’s a sad story. But it’s a great story because you can see I found my daughter. And she found me," Travis said.
It took years for Lawrence to track Travis down through Adoption.com.
Last month, Lawrence’s biological sisters reached out to her through the website.
A social media search then led Lawrence to Travis, who flew from Georgia to North Texas this week.
He said he was not willing to miss another holiday or birthday.
"These are all 39 birthday cards for every day I missed. They are dated. Some I drew on. I signed. Poems, everything to show my daughter how much I love her. And I would like to give it to her if you don’t mind," he said.
Those precious cards represent years of wondering and waiting.
"Just how my dad was doing. Was he still alive? I thought that every year. Like where is he at and what is he doing," Lawrence said.
Those are questions she doesn’t have to ask anymore.
And now her six children have the chance to spend Christmas morning with their grandfather.
"This Christmas to me is special because not only do I have a dad, I feel complete now," she said.
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"I got a daughter on Christmas. It doesn’t get any better than that. Who would’ve thought. Thirty-nine years of waiting and the holidays. I mean, wow!" Travis said.
He plans to spend the next two weeks in North Texas with his daughter and grandchildren.
Next Christmas, they’ll go to Georgia to spend the holiday there.